unconstrained
In the release of the third quarter of 2022 financial results, ASML, the world's largest lithography company, said that it can continue to ship non-EUV lithography machines from Europe to China, which means that related DUV equipment is not restricted.
This means that although China cannot buy EUV lithography machines from ASML, it can continue to buy DUV lithography machines. With the EUV lithography machine, chips below 14 nm can be produced, and the United States has always regarded 14 nm as an advanced process, and hundreds of thousands of years have blocked China's chip industry chain below 14 nm.
duv lithography is a printing technique that uses ozone or lasers to expose a photoresist layer on a thick film layer to create the desired pattern. The advantage of the duv lithography machine is that it can produce very complex images by precisely controlling the frequency, timing, intensity and Angle of the light source, thus enabling high-precision printing.
Restrictions For the time being, duv lithography machines are not subject to any prohibitions. It can still provide services worldwide.
The fourth generation duv immersion lithography machine is subject to the ban.
The Netherlands, Japan and the United States have reached an agreement to expand export controls on advanced chip equipment adopted against China last October.
duv lithography machines are mainly used for processes of 28nm and above.
According to the latest news, the Dutch company ASML said that the United States and Japan and the Netherlands reached an agreement in secret, and the DUV lithography machine is also in the ban, but it will be several months until the specific content of the agreement is agreed and implemented
The United States, the Netherlands and Japan have made progress in negotiations to limit the sale of chip manufacturing equipment to China. Dutch lithography giant ASML has also been aware of the relevant agreements, which include but are not limited to advanced process lithography systems. The implication is that even the shipment of DUV lithography machines, Dutch ASML will not be able to achieve independence and autonomy in the future.