Recently, China’s largest manufacturer of chip equipment, SiCarrier, made headlines by revealing an impressive suite of new tools aimed at enhancing domestic semiconductor production.
A Rising Challenger in the Chipmaking World
Over the past few years, China has made significant strides in the semiconductor sector, largely fueled by a desire to counteract foreign dependence and bolster its self-sufficiency. Tech giants like Huawei and SMIC have been at the forefront of this movement, establishing robust production lines for chips. Yet, there’s one company that’s been flying under the radar: SiCarrier. Backed by Huawei, this company is quickly emerging as a key player in manufacturing chipmaking equipment. Their recent showcase at SEMICON 2025 in China unveiled their latest technological advancements and sent a clear signal that they’re stepping up their game.
During the event, which was covered by the tech enthusiast @zephyr_z9 on Twitter, SiCarrier demonstrated a host of new products, including Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) systems crucial for semiconductor manufacturing. Although they didn’t dive into lithography tools, possibly keeping it under wraps for strategic reasons, the array of products positions them as serious competitors to industry giants such as ASML and Applied Materials. However, there’s still some uncertainty about how effective these tools will be in the domestic arena.
Image Credits: SCMP
At the event, SiCarrier’s President Du Lijun boldly stated that their homegrown tools could produce 5nm chips. Yet, he acknowledged that relying on non-optical technologies presents challenges with yield rates, making the production costlier than the global competition. Still, with collaborative efforts underway with SMIC and Huawei, there’s optimism for a breakthrough, pivotal for China’s goal of achieving technological autonomy in chip production.
"There might be a path where we can use non-optical technologies, that is, using our process equipment to solve some of the lithography issues," – Du Lijun, as quoted by Reuters.
The ultimate goal for SiCarrier is to shift the balance of semiconductor production away from dominant players like the Netherlands, known for their chipmaking tools. In prior reports, we’ve highlighted how SiCarrier, in partnership with Huawei and Shenzhen government entities, is pioneering custom EUV prototypes using laser-induced discharge plasma (LDP). This effort marks a significant step towards China crafting its advanced EUV lithography machines, a critical milestone for breaking through current technological limitations and achieving cutting-edge production levels.
