SiCarrier of China Unveils Broad Chip Equipment Lineup at SEMICON 2025, Challenging ASML’s Market Lead

China’s top chip equipment manufacturer, SiCarrier, has just rolled out an impressive array of chipmaking tools. This move is set to elevate local semiconductor production to unprecedented heights.

In recent times, China’s semiconductor sector has made significant strides, driven by the country’s determination to reduce reliance on global powerhouses. Companies such as Huawei and SMIC have contributed significantly to China’s burgeoning semiconductor industry, and they’ve seen considerable success. Often flying under the radar is SiCarrier, a company reportedly supported by Huawei, that focuses on creating cutting-edge chipmaking tools. At the SEMICON 2025 event in China, SiCarrier showcased its latest equipment lineup, signaling that they’re not planning to slow down.

A recent post on Twitter by @zephyr_z9, shared insights from SiCarrier’s latest catalog displayed at SEMICON. Among the developments, the company has crafted a variety of chip tools, including Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) systems crucial for semiconductor fabrication. The catalog features numerous other innovations, although lithography tools seem conspicuously absent, likely by design. This new product line aims to compete with global giants like ASML, Applied Materials, and LAM, though it remains to be seen how these tools will fare in the local market.

SiCarrier’s President, Du Lijun, expressed at SEMICON that their domestic chip tools are capable of producing 5nm chips through non-optical technology. However, this approach presents yield rate challenges, potentially making production costlier compared to international methods. Nevertheless, collaboration with SMIC and Huawei aims to tackle these hurdles. Given the critical goal of achieving autonomous chip production for China, a breakthrough is anticipated in the near future.

Du Lijun mentioned that non-optical technologies might offer a workaround for some lithography issues. The company’s ultimate objective is to shift the semiconductor tool supply balance away from countries like the Netherlands, a principal source of such technology. Previously, it was reported that SiCarrier, in partnership with Huawei and the Shenzhen government, is working on custom EUV prototypes focusing on laser-induced discharge plasma (LDP). This development is expected to pave the way for China to produce its own EUV lithography equipment, a crucial step towards establishing its own advanced semiconductor nodes.