US lawmakers have put forward a bill that would ban the export of all immersion DUV equipment to China, as well as further restrict servicing operations there. The so-called Match Act pushes American allies to align their export curbs with Washington’s. Should that fail, the US could go ahead with unilateral measures.
The bill explicitly covers “all deep ultraviolet immersion photolithography machines.” Currently, ASML’s export of these systems is only partially curbed. The litho giant needs to apply for a license to ship more advanced models to certain Chinese companies, leaving room for Veldhoven to continue immersion shipments to parts of the Chinese market. Additionally, unlike the US, the Dutch government continues to allow servicing and repair of equipment on Chinese soil.
The Dutch licensing requirement for certain immersion tools was implemented after the US had imposed restrictions of its own, demonstrating that Washington isn’t afraid to act when diplomacy fails. The new bill doesn’t come as a surprise, as a US congressional inquiry had already called for a blanket ban on DUV immersion exports to China.
Coincidentally, Korean media outlet Joongang published a report that Chinese semiconductor equipment maker SMEE has touted a 10nm-capable immersion scanner, claiming it’s “already being mass-produced and sold to customers.” Specifications of the machine weren’t included in the report.
