China’s SiCarrier Shocks Chip Industry with Diverse Chip Equipment Launch at SEMICON 2025, Challenging ASML’s Lead

Recently, SiCarrier, the biggest player in China’s chip equipment industry, has introduced an impressive range of chipmaking tools aimed at elevating in-house semiconductor production to unprecedented heights.

China’s SiCarrier stands as the leading manufacturer of chipmaking tools in the nation and poses a considerable challenge to the hold of companies such as ASML and others. Over the past few years, China’s semiconductor sector has made significant strides. This progress is largely due to the country’s determination to counter international dominance in the field. Companies like Huawei and SMIC have been pivotal, setting up and advancing China’s chip production infrastructure. Among these contributors, SiCarrier, a firm reportedly supported by Huawei, deserves notable mention for its specialization in crafting chipmaking tools. During SEMICON 2025 in China, SiCarrier showcased its latest series of equipment, signaling their resolve to advance irrespective of hurdles.

A tweet from @zephyr_z9 highlighted SiCarrier’s new catalog, also unveiled at SEMICON, featuring their developed chip tools. These include the RTP (Rapid Thermal Processing) systems crucial for fabricating IC devices in semiconductors. While the catalog lists a variety of tools, it notably omits any for lithography, perhaps a strategic area SiCarrier is keeping under wraps. This fresh lineup signals a bid to rival giants like ASML and Applied Materials, although the effectiveness of these tools for the local market remains to be seen.

Speaking at SEMICON, SiCarrier’s President, Du Lijun, asserted that China’s chipmaking tools are capable of producing 5nm chips. Yet, relying on non-optical technology presents yield rate obstacles, making their production costlier than global options. Nevertheless, SiCarrier is collaborating with SMIC and Huawei on resolving these challenges, and given the significance of chip production independence for China, a breakthrough seems imminent.

President Du Lijun also suggested the potential of non-optical technology in addressing lithography challenges, quoted via Reuters.

The core mission of SiCarrier is to shift the semiconductor power dynamics, moving away from countries like the Netherlands, a major supplier of chipmaking tools. A previous report highlighted SiCarrier’s efforts with Huawei and the Shenzhen government in developing custom EUV prototypes centered on laser-induced discharge plasma (LDP). This initiative marks the first step toward China crafting its own EUV lithography equipment, potentially overcoming the last barrier to creating cutting-edge nodes domestically.