China Advances Domestic DUV Lithography Machine

State-owned Shanghai Aishengna develops immersion DUV scanners as China targets domestic EUV production by 2030 to bypass sanctions.

Shanghai Aishengna Electronic Technology Group, a state-owned firm tied to SMEE and Shanghai Electric Group, has developed an immersion DUV scanner using water-based circuit printing. While DUV machines typically manufacture 7-nanometer or larger nodes using longer light wavelengths than EUV systems, they remain exempt from Western sanctions. To produce advanced chips with older DUV hardware, manufacturers utilize multi-patterning, though the process increases costs, lowers yields, and reduces throughput due to higher defect rates. Meanwhile, reports indicate Beijing expects domestic EUV machines, which require vacuum environments and involve Huawei in development, to enter production by 2030. This push for self-sufficiency comes as China remains a critical market for Dutch manufacturer ASML. In the first half of 2026, China was ASML's third-largest market behind Taiwan and South Korea, accounting for 16% of its revenue at €2.6 billion.