As we all know, in the chip production process, it is an indispensable step to use a lithography machine to draw and design good patterns on the wafer. It is precisely because of this that lithography machines are extremely important for chip manufacturing and can even be regarde

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As we all know, in the chip production process, it is an indispensable step to use lithography machine to draw and design good patterns on wafer . It is precisely because of this that lithography machines are extremely important for chip manufacturing and can even be regarded as an indispensable chip manufacturing equipment. SMIC is also limited by the inability to purchase EUV lithography machine from ASML, which has been unable to break through the 7nm or even lower chip process process and produce chips below 7nm.

When many people pay attention to lithography machines, the same important etching machine has been ignored by many people and do not understand the importance of the etching machine. In fact, in the chip production process, the importance of etching machines is not much compared to that of lithography machines. According to relevant information, the proportion of lithography machines in chip production reaches about 30%, and the proportion of etching machines in chip production also exceeds 25%. It can be seen that in chip production, lithography machines are essential, and the same is true for etching machines.

Recently, the Shanghai Municipal Committee’s Foreign Propaganda Office announced a series of technological breakthroughs for Shanghai chip companies. Among them, the technological breakthroughs of 14nm chip production and 90nm lithography machines have caused an uproar in the industry, but many people have ignored the breakthroughs in the 5nm etching machine technology. You should know that the importance of etching machines is no less than that of lithography machines, and the technological breakthrough of 5nm etching machines is even more meaningful.

nm etching machine technology breakthrough is of great significance

In the chip manufacturing and production process, the lithography machine is responsible for drawing the designed textures on the wafer, and the etching machine is responsible for etching out the textures drawn by the lithography machine using physical or chemical means after the lithography machine draws the textures, so that these textures form three-dimensional parts and remove the excess parts.

It is precisely because of this that the importance of etching machines in chip production is no less than that of lithography machines, but because etching machines are not monopolized by a certain enterprise like lithography machines being monopolized by ASML, but many enterprises have mastered certain etching machine production technology. It is precisely because of this that in the chip industry, the popularity of etching machines is not as famous as lithography machines, but this does not mean that the importance of etching machines is inferior.

The news announced by the Shanghai Municipal Committee’s Foreign Propaganda Office is related to the etching machine, that is, Shanghai enterprises have broken through the technology of the 5nm etching machine and successfully produced the 5nm etching machine. This etching machine technology breaks through to 5nm, which is undoubtedly a technological innovation for the Chinese chip industry, and it also indirectly proves the rapid development of Chinese chip companies and the fact that China is gradually mastering more chip-related technologies. The successful production of

nm etching machine not only means that Chinese chip companies will not be choked by etching machines until the 5nm chip manufacturing. More importantly, after entering the 5nm field, they have entered the top chip field and occupy a place worldwide. Relevant news said that China's 5nm etching machines will be exported to TSMC, which also marks that China's 5nm etching machines surpass many etching machines produced abroad in terms of technology and quality.

China's chip industry is gradually rising, and mature fields have favorable advantages

This breakthrough in 5nm etching machine technology also indirectly shows the rapid development of China's chip industry. In addition, the technologies in the fields of 14nm chip production, 90nm lithography machine manufacturing, and large silicon wafers that have broken through at the same time all show the gradual rise of China's chip industry.

Many people may wonder, whether in lithography machines, chip production or other fields, foreign countries have more advanced technologies than Chinese companies. In many aspects, China's core technology is still behind European and American countries. How can it be called the rise of China's chip industry?

In fact, the rise of China's chip industry does not lie in the technological breakthroughs in a certain field, but in the development of China's entire chip industry chain. ASML is unique in the field of lithography machines, and no company can compete with ASML. However, ASML's lithography machine manufacturing needs to rely on the United States' technology and the integration of the global industrial chain. Although Shanghai Microelectronics in China is not as good as ASML in lithography machines, Shanghai Microelectronics relies less on foreign technology. Although TSMC far surpasses SMIC in the field of chip foundry, it is still restricted by the United States.

Currently, most of the chip industries around the world are integrated into the international industrial chain and rely heavily on the technology or equipment needs provided by foreign companies. Although Europe, America, Japan, South Korea and other countries far surpass Chinese companies in chip technology, most of them only master some of the technologies, so they are restricted by the United States. However, Chinese companies are different. China's chip industry has extensive layout and has established a full industrial chain. From lithography machines to etching machines to chip design and chip manufacturing, all companies are involved in it and have developed well. It will not be like companies such as TSMC, no matter how advanced the technology is, it will be limited by the United States.

The rise of China's chip industry is not only related to the entire chip industry chain established by China, but also closely related to the extensive layout of mature process and process in Chinese chip companies. As the international chip market changes, the demand for some high-end chips has gradually declined, but the demand for chips in mature process fields has not decreased but increased.

It is precisely because of this that TSMC has reduced production lines for other process processes and increased production lines for mature 28nm process processes. However, SMIC has taken the lead and established multiple 28nm production lines.

is written at the end: Although the technological breakthrough of China's 5nm etching machine has been ignored by many people, it is of great significance behind it. The rise of China's chip industry can no longer be changed. What do you think about this?