China debuts first e-beam lithography machine for commercial use in chipmaking milestone
Beijing’s efforts to build its own chipmaking tools may be paying off as global competition in the sector heats up
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.
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.
“The delivery of Xizhi is expected to help break this impasse.”
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.