China’s semiconductor industry is continuing to make incremental steps in advancing its domestic lithography tools, according to specifications published by The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Two lithography scanners in particular have attracted attention as a sign of the latest progress being made in the country. One uses a krypton-fluoride (KrF) light source with a 248-nanometre wavelength and an overlay accuracy below 25nm, which is capable of a production resolution of 110nm on 12-inch wafers, according to the MIIT document. The other uses a more advanced argon fluoride (ArF) light source with a 193-nm wavelength and an overlay accuracy below 8nm, supporting a production resolution of 65nm on 12-inch wafers. However, an engineer with the China operations of Dutch lithography giant ASML, who asked not to be named, noted that the best possible manufacturing node does not directly translate into the smallest feature achievable, as that largely depends on a foundry’s technical knowledge. “With the same tool, [TSMC] can probably make 7nm-grade chips, while [SMIC in China] can only make 16nm-grade chips,” said the engineer, who asked not to be named. “Lithography tools are like knives, but how the cuisine eventually tastes largely depends on the chefs.” https://www.scmp.com/tech.. #A Glance of China 行摄中国 #🇨🇳 ChinA.I. 🤖🧠🦾🤖