asiatimes
Author page description
October 1
- China’s Lithography Gains: A Glass Half Full, Not Half Empty➀ China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced two domestically-made lithography systems; ➁ The systems include a KrF scanner for 130nm ICs and an ArF scanner for 65nm chips; ➂ China's technology is catching up with Canon, Nikon, and ASML, though still behind in EUV; ➃ Nikon's history of lithography development showcases the rapid progress in the field; ➄ ASML dominates the high-end market with EUV technology, while Nikon and Canon focus on DUV systems; ➅ SMEE is China's leading producer of IC lithography equipment; ➆ The US sanctions on ArF immersion systems push China to accelerate development.
August 22
- Advanced IC Packaging: The New Battleground in the Chip Wars➀ Advanced IC packaging is emerging as a critical area of competition in the semiconductor industry, particularly in the context of US-China technological rivalry. ➁ China has a significant presence and advanced technology in 'back-end' assembly, packaging, and test (APT), making it less susceptible to US sanctions compared to 'front-end' wafer fabrication. ➂ TSMC is expanding its CoWoS packaging capacity to address supply constraints for leading AI processors, while Huawei leverages its own packaging technology to outperform restricted Nvidia chips. ➃ The shift towards Chinese-designed and manufactured ICs is accelerating due to US sanctions and the perceived risk of relying on US-designed chips. ➄ Both the US and China are investing heavily in advanced IC packaging and chiplet technology to gain a competitive edge and reduce dependency on foreign suppliers.