The prototype of the machine was completed in early 2025 and is currently undergoing testing. It was created thanks to the work of former engineers of the Dutch company ASML. They reconstructed extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines.
EUV machines use beams of extremely ultraviolet light to etch circuits thousands of times thinner than human hair onto silicon wafers. Currently, this technology is monopolized by the West. The smaller the circuits, the greater the power of the chips.
As Reuters writes, so far the only company that has mastered this technology was ASML from the Netherlands. Its devices are necessary for the production of cutting-edge systems for companies such as Nvidia, AMD, TSMC, Intel and Samsung. Reuters reports indicate that China may
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In April, the president of ASML estimated that China would still need many years to reach the Western level in this respect. Recent reports from Reuters indicate that China may be much closer to achieving semiconductor independence. Beijing still needs to overcome barriers to precision optical systems currently provided by Western manufacturers.
The Chinese machine has not yet produced working chips. China plans to produce chips in 2028. Reuters sources involved in the project say 2030 is a more realistic date.
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Huawei plays a key role in coordinating the project, connecting a network of enterprises and research institutes throughout the country. Thousands of engineers are involved in the work.
The project was conducted in strict secrecy and is one of the priorities of Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to a Reuters source, its goal is independence in chip construction and eliminating the USA from the supply chain. Reuters calls it the “Chinese Manhattan Project”, referring to the American nuclear weapons program during World War II.
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An ASML spokesman stressed that no EUV machine had ever been sold to a customer in China. Since 2018, the US has been pressuring the Netherlands to block the sale of EUV machines to China. The restrictions were extended in 2022 by the Joe Biden administration. The restrictions significantly slow down China's path to independence in semiconductor production.
