China is set to deliver its first domestically developed e-beam lithography tool for commercial use, advancing its chipmaking capabilities and taking a step forward in the race for technological advancement. Lithography systems – among the most sophisticated machines ever created – are crucial for the mass production of microchips, though China remains in the very early stages of developing such tools domestically. Named Xizhi after the famed ancient Chinese calligrapher Wang Xizhi, the new machine was developed by a quantum technology lab at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou. It uses a focused electron beam to “write” chip circuits onto silicon wafers. “Due to export controls, such equipment has long been out of reach for leading domestic research institutions, including the University of Science and Technology of China and Zhejiang Lab,” Hangzhou Daily reported. “The delivery of Xizhi is expected to help break this impasse.”
Beijing has ramped up efforts to localize advanced chip manufacturing in response to U.S. export restrictions on hi-tech equipment, with recent progress strengthening its R&D capabilities. In 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security imposed export controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment, including e-beam lithography systems. Washington has also pressured the Netherlands to restrict ASML from selling its most advanced technologies to Chinese buyers under restrictions adopted by the Dutch government.
E-beam lithography machines cannot produce chips at a large scale like Dutch company ASML’s DUV and EUV lithography systems, but they excel in the testing stage of production, offering high-precision circuit patterning and design flexibility. Priced lower than imported machines, Xizhi can pattern circuit lines as narrow as 8 nanometers, with a positioning accuracy of 0.6 nm, matching international standards. Discussions with multiple companies and research institutions have already begun, the South China Morning Post reports.
