On Saturday, October 22, 2022 at 5:15:53 PM UTC, ltlee1 wrote:
On Friday, October 21, 2022 at 7:07:35 PM UTC, ltlee1 wrote:
U.S. export curbs on China in focus
"The U.S. has recently introduced sweeping rules aimed at cutting China off from obtaining or manufacturing advanced chips which could be used in applications such as supercomputers.
As part of those rules, Washington restricted “U.S. persons” who support the development or production of certain chips in China, including those for military uses, from doing so without a license.
ASML told U.S. employees last week to stop servicing Chinese customers as a result.
ASML’s Wennink said the company is “continuing to assess and follow the new US export control regulations.”
“Based on our initial assessment, the new restrictions do not amend the rules governing lithography equipment shipped by ASML out of the Netherlands and we expect the direct impact on ASML’s overall 2023 shipment plan to be limited.”
ASML’s machines are critical for firms wanting to make the most advanced chips. If Chinese chipmakers can’t get their hands on the tool, it will be incredibly difficult for them to catch up to the likes of TSMC."
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/19/asml-q3-earnings-beat-sees-limited-impact-on-us-chip-curbs-on-china.html
Looks like US sanction regarding ASML products has a hole. Judging from the above, ASML is likely to
deliver previously ordered DUV (Deep ultraviolet) orders to China next year.
Concerning the most advanced lithogrpahic system using EUV (Extreme UltraViolet). China had ordered its
first EUV system more than 4 years ago. But the scheduled 2019 delivery was delayed because ASML did
not want to upset the US government.
Under US governemnt pressure, the Dutch government is still withholding ASML's license to export EUV
system to China. Can China make EUV lithographic system by itself?
The three secret sauce of ASML's EUV system: Dual work stage, light source, and optical lens.
Looks like China is breaking through technologically. Of course, the most important question
concerning the actual YIELD of Chinese made EUV system is remain to be answered.
https://min.news/en/digital/8a41a7c1ce9bbf03753a624117b99b84.html
"The reason why we are trapped in the chip ban is largely due to the lack of EUV lithography equipment. However, ASML, the only Dutch giant that can produce EUV equipment in the world, is restricted by "export control" due to the American technology
accessories contained in its production line, so that it has never been able to sell the equipment to us.
After Huawei was cut off, Ren Zhengfei visited the Chinese Academy of Sciences for help. The two sides reached a clear consensus: The key to breaking the ice of domestic chips is the EUV lithography machine.
In order to realize the rise of "China Core", the Chinese Academy of Sciences took the initiative to take over the task and established a special EUV core technology research team, which is bound to complete the breakthrough in the shortest time.
Unexpectedly, when ASML learned that we were going to develop EUV on our own, they would sneer and say: Even if they give Chinese drawings, they will make them. Although engineering academician Wu Hanming also said: EUV is the crystallization of global
wisdom, it is very unrealistic for us to research and develop on our own.
... doubts and ridicules cannot obliterate the determination of Chinese scientists to break through the EUV monopoly.
Sure enough, the good news came soon. Huazhuo Precision Technology took the lead and independently developed a dual-stage system, one of the core technologies of EUV, and became the second company in the world to master this technology after ASML.
Witnessing China's R&D progress in the field of lithography, ASML, which once poured cold water, also immediately changed its tune. Not only did it show its favor to the Chinese market five times, it even began to “snatch”, saying: If the United
States continues sanctions, China will be alone within 15 years.
However, ASML obviously still underestimated the perseverance and strength of Chinese scientists, and never expected it to be so fast. In just one year, China's EUV lithography machine was about to land.
In addition to the dual work stage system, EUV equipment has two core technologies, namely the light source and the optical lens.
In terms of light sources, the scientific research team led by Professor Tang Chuanxiang of Tsinghua University successfully explored a new type of particle accelerator light source "steady-state micro-bunching" in February this year. Ultraviolet light
is the working light source of EUV. What's more commendable is that China's independent light source technology is not only suitable for EUV, but also has a wider range of application scenarios.
At the same time, the linear Lloyd lens coating device and nano-focusing lens coating device developed by Zhongke Kemei have also been put into use.
These two devices combined with high-radiation light source equipment can almost meet the physical lens technology of all process requirements, including Zeiss lenses.
This means that the three core technologies of EUV lithography machines have all been broken, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has also fulfilled its promise."
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)