China imported 42 lithography systems (chip-making equipment) with a total value of $8.168 billion in November, mostly from the Netherlands and Japan, according to South China Morning Post. Included among them were 16 lithography machines imported from the Netherlands valued at $7.627 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 1,050% in value of such equipment from the European chip machinery powerhouse.
Why it matters: Lithography machines are a core type of equipment in chip manufacturing, with advanced models available only at extremely high cost. The Chinese demand for lithography machines is increasing rapidly as the domestic semiconductor industry is being boosted in an effort to offset the impact of tighter US chip export controls. At the high end, only a few companies worldwide are capable of producing them.
Details: China aims to stock as much advanced lithography equipment as possible before the Netherlands’ export restrictions come into full effect in January 2024.
- Among the 42 lithography machines imported by China in November, 16 are from the Netherlands’ ASML, the world’s largest lithography machine manufacturer, as reported by SCMP. 15 machines are from Japan’s Canon and Nikon, while the remaining 11 are reported to have come from second-hand equipment dealers in other countries.
- Although the quantity of lithography machines imported from the Netherlands in October was higher at 21 units, the total value was only $672.5 million, significantly lower than the total value of $7.627 billion for the 16 lithography machines imported in November, an average 46% more.
- The monthly unit price difference suggests that Chinese companies are continuing to acquire more advanced chip-making systems despite the US’s attempts to limit such purchases, according to SCMP.
- Most of the equipment shipped in November obtained approval from the Dutch government by the end of 2022 or early 2023, said Jan-Peter Kleinhans, director of technology and geopolitics at Stiftung Neue Verantwortung, a German non-profit think tank based in Berlin. ASML’s lead time in 2023 was around 18 months, indicating that equipment shipped in the fourth quarter of 2023 would have been ordered in either the second or third quarter of 2022, he added.
Context: In June this year, the Netherlands announced export controls, placing restrictions on the shipment of ASML’s chip-making machines to China. Starting from September 1, ASML has been required to acquire a license for the export of its deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography systems to China.
- Following the new rules, ASML announced that its existing licenses allowed it to continue shipping DUV lithography machines to China until the end of 2023, despite export restrictions in the Netherlands taking effect from September.
- ASML’s export licenses necessary for shipping these systems to Chinese customers will become invalid from January 1, 2024, and are unlikely to be renewed.
- As of 2021, domestically manufactured lithography systems made up less than 5% of those used in Chinese fabs, according to SCMP’s report.