China is set to deliver its first domestically developed e-beam lithography tool for commercial use, advancing its chipmaking capabilities and taking a step forward in the race for technological advancement.
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Lithography systems – among the most sophisticated machines ever created – are crucial for the mass production of chips, though China remains in the very early stages of developing such tools domestically.
Named Xizhi after the famed ancient Chinese calligrapher Wang Xizhi, the new machine was developed by a quantum technology lab at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou. It uses a focused electron beam to “write” chip circuits onto silicon wafers.
“Due to export controls, such equipment has long been out of reach for leading domestic research institutions, including the University of Science and Technology of China and Zhejiang Lab,” Hangzhou Daily, a local media outlet, reported on Thursday.
“The delivery of Xizhi is expected to help break this impasse.”
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Beijing has ramped up efforts to localise advanced chip manufacturing in response to US export restrictions on hi-tech equipment, with recent progress strengthening its R&D capabilities.
