UBS analyst Francois-Xavier Bouvignies reports that China's lithography tool production currently mirrors ASML's 2004 capabilities. While SMEE introduced the SSA/800-10W immersion DUV system in 2023, no domestic firm has reached mass production for 45nm chips.
The landscape includes SMEE, established in 2002, and its affiliate Shanghai Aishengna, which reportedly mass-produced immersion DUV scanners in July 2024. Other players include Huawei-controlled SiCarrier and AMIES, a spin-off containing SMEE-related units.
China's self-sufficiency efforts face hurdles as ASML remains the sole EUV scanner maker alongside Canon and Nikon. While firms like ACM Research and AMEC advance in etching and cleaning, Naura has denied it is currently developing its own lithography tools.