antiterror13
Brigadier
Whatever decision, the trust is broken already
Chinese semiconductor thread II
- Thread starter vincent
- Start date
I understand Nexperia CEO was suspended by a Dutch court. Formally this means only the court could reinstate him...but IMHO is very unlikely that judges will revert their decisions (they are not politicians).
It could be found a compromise with the Ducth government without changing the court decision, like agree on a new Chinese CEO, but this is not the core of the issue.
The real issue is what to do with Nexperia in the future. IMHO the most natural outcome is that the European branch is sold and the current Chinese owner keep the Chinese branch including assets and IP, and maybe also the brand rights for a reasonable period. In the medium/long term Western customers will remain with Nexperia only if is under western control...and probably the opposite is true for Chinese customers.
But the real outcome could be an accelerated decoupling from Chinese chips by Western customers.
I understand why China played their cards in that way, but when you chose one road, for whatever good reason, you have to be ready to live with the consequences of your choice. See US with semi in China, this is the posterchild of short term decisions that have long term (opposite) consequences. Now China will reach technological independence, no matter what.
I'm not criticizing China, they had all the rights to do what they did...but in international geopolitics, acknowledge of who is right, this has no value. What it counts are the consequences of your actions in the long term. Here I see an acceleration toward long term decoupling of chips, after the chip machinery/tools that are already well within decoupling phase.
Gigadevice comes out with a new 32-bit MCU called GD32F503/505 series.
陕西光电子先导院 has introduced 8-inch advanced Silicon Photonics production line and released a PDK for passive SOI integrated ultralow loss Silicon Nitride product. This will allow them to work on process above 90nm. Customers are SiPO & optoelectronic customers
Qinghe Epistar's room-temperature bonding equipment has been recognized by an overseas semiconductor customer and successfully implemented in its production line.
Qinghe Epistar's independently developed SAB61 series product, the "Fully Automatic Ultra-High Vacuum Room Temperature Bonding Equipment," successfully completed the customer's pre-acceptance test and was officially delivered to an overseas semiconductor customer and installed on their production line.
The production line delivered this time has extremely high requirements for equipment stability, precision, and process consistency, which signifies that the company's [ultra-high vacuum room temperature bonding equipment] has gained recognition from the international high-end market for its comprehensive performance.
Ultra-high vacuum room-temperature bonding equipment utilizes ultra-high vacuum ion beam bombardment technology to activate material surfaces, achieving strong covalent bonds without heating or annealing. It boasts high bond strength, supports bonding of heterogeneous materials (such as SiC, Ga₂O₃, and diamond), and eliminates thermal stress and interface oxide layers. Applications encompass composite substrates, MEMS, heterogeneous integration with high heat dissipation requirements, multi-segment solar cells, optical crystal integration, and flexible electronics.
Luwei Optoelectronics: Mass production of 180nm process node semiconductor photomasks has been achieved
Luwei Optoelectronics stated on its interactive platform that it has achieved mass production of 180nm process node semiconductor photomasks, and its 150nm/130nm processes have passed customer verification and entered small-batch mass production. The Luwei Semiconductor project, invested and constructed by the company, is positioned for 130-28nm photomask manufacturing, placing it among the leading domestic manufacturers in process node layout. Currently, samples of 90nm and above semiconductor photomasks have been sent to customers and have passed verification by some. Trial production of 40nm semiconductor photomasks will begin in the second half of 2025, and the project is progressing smoothly.
According to public information, Luwei Optoelectronics is a company specializing in photolithography masks. Founded in 2012, it has two core product lines: flat panel display masks and semiconductor masks. It is the only domestic manufacturer with the capability to produce masks across all generations, from G2.5 to G11. In the third quarter of 2025, Luwei Optoelectronics achieved operating revenue of 827 million yuan, of which quartz masks accounted for 499 million yuan (91.80%) and soda ash masks accounted for 41.3049 million yuan.
According to public information, Luwei Optoelectronics is a company specializing in photolithography masks. Founded in 2012, it has two core product lines: flat panel display masks and semiconductor masks. It is the only domestic manufacturer with the capability to produce masks across all generations, from G2.5 to G11. In the third quarter of 2025, Luwei Optoelectronics achieved operating revenue of 827 million yuan, of which quartz masks accounted for 499 million yuan (91.80%) and soda ash masks accounted for 41.3049 million yuan.
Harbin developing the actuators for the next generation of lithography wafers scanners.
A compensation method for electromagnetic hysteresis: Application in linear reluctance actuator
Abstract
The linear reluctance actuator is a specialized electromagnetic actuator that generates motion based on the reluctance effect. With its high force density and lower power consumption, it presents advantages over Lorentz actuators, which are commonly used in lithography machines. This actuator has the potential to overcome the physical limitations of voice coil motors, which struggle to achieve the high acceleration required for next-generation lithography systems. The complex hysteresis nonlinearity between current and magnetic flux density in linear reluctance actuator, stemming from electromagnetic hysteresis, eddy currents, and motion coupling, induces force deviations that limit their broader application. In this paper, we present a hysteresis model that relates current and flux, developed using flux measurements from sense coils. By integrating this model with the adaptive feedforward parameter tuning method, hysteresis nonlinearity is effectively compensated, enabling precise flux control. Experimental results demonstrate that the model effectively captures the actuator’s rate-dependent hysteresis behavior, and the proposed method effectively compensates for hysteresis nonlinearity.
Another IC Vehicle manufacturer.
Dongwei Semiconductor: The company's GaN product development has been expanded, and it is actively promoting customer verification.
Dongwei Semiconductor reported strong growth in Q1–Q3 2025, with operating revenue reaching RMB 964 million (+41.6% YoY) and net profit attributable to shareholders at RMB 48.55 million (+58.46% YoY), excluding non-recurring items showing a significant year-on-year increase of 374.48%. Q3 revenue was RMB 348 million (+33.26%), and adjusted net profit rose 95.39% YoY after accounting for equity incentives.
The company’s product portfolio includes superjunction MOSFETs, shielded gate MOSFETs, TGBTs, SiC devices, and power modules. Revenue from all major products grew steadily, with strong demand in industrial, automotive, data center, and 5G/communication applications particularly in server power supplies and EV charging systems.
Regarding external expansion, Dongwei actively pursues strategic M&A opportunities across the supply chain to strengthen market position and build a second growth curve, with updates to be disclosed as per regulations.
In the GaN (gallium nitride) field, the company has formed key partnerships with leading domestic foundries, epitaxy, substrate, packaging, and testing firms. GaN product development is now expanding, and customer verification is underway. The technology presents significant challenges due to high demands for reliability, consistency, and specialized driving/control methods across the entire supply chain differing markedly from silicon-based devices. Dongwei leverages its design expertise and partner capabilities to advance GaN technology into industrial, automotive, and data center applications.
The third phase of the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund (Big Fund III) invests in Nantong Crystal.
The third phase of China’s National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund (Big Fund III), known as Guotou Jixin, has invested 100 million yuan in Nantong Crystal Co., Ltd., acquiring a 25% stake and boosting its registered capital to 400 million RMB. This marks Nantong Crystal’s first completed investment by SDIC Jixin this year, following earlier plans for a potential investment in Tuojing Key Technology (still pending).
Nantong Crystal specializes in high-performance synthetic quartz materials used in lasers, semiconductors, and precision optics, particularly as core components in photomask substrates critical to advanced semiconductor manufacturing below 5nm. High-purity quartz glass is essential due to its thermal stability and accuracy in transferring chip patterns.
With the continued expansion of domestic wafer fab capacity, the market demand for photomasks is expected to grow steadily, creating vast opportunities for domestic substitution. Nantong Crystal's products precisely meet this demand. Its synthetic quartz materials for semiconductor photomasks feature low metal impurity content (high purity), high UV transmittance, high optical uniformity, low hydroxyl content, low stress birefringence, and excellent radiation resistance. It can supply quartz materials in batches to meet i-line/g-line/KrF/ArF grade photomask requirements, including ingots, blanks, and rough-polished wafers. Through controlled production processes, it ensures excellent dimensional accuracy, stress, and optical uniformity.
Nantong Crystal specializes in high-performance synthetic quartz materials used in lasers, semiconductors, and precision optics, particularly as core components in photomask substrates critical to advanced semiconductor manufacturing below 5nm. High-purity quartz glass is essential due to its thermal stability and accuracy in transferring chip patterns.
With the continued expansion of domestic wafer fab capacity, the market demand for photomasks is expected to grow steadily, creating vast opportunities for domestic substitution. Nantong Crystal's products precisely meet this demand. Its synthetic quartz materials for semiconductor photomasks feature low metal impurity content (high purity), high UV transmittance, high optical uniformity, low hydroxyl content, low stress birefringence, and excellent radiation resistance. It can supply quartz materials in batches to meet i-line/g-line/KrF/ArF grade photomask requirements, including ingots, blanks, and rough-polished wafers. Through controlled production processes, it ensures excellent dimensional accuracy, stress, and optical uniformity.
Currently, the global photomask substrate market is dominated by Corning, Heraeus, and Shin-Etsu, with China’s localization rate of high-end substrates remaining under 3%. Nantong Crystal aims to break technological barriers through synthetic quartz vapor deposition technology, promoting self-reliance in this vital industry.
The company is controlled by Zhongtian Technology, a leading Chinese manufacturer of submarine optical cables with a 30–40% domestic market share. Zhongtian has expanded into optical communication modules, successfully developing and delivering industrial-grade 400G/800G silicon photonics modules.
In Q3 2025, Zhongtian Technology reported RMB 37.974 billion in operating revenue (up 10.65% YoY) and RMB 2.338 billion net profit (up 1.19% YoY), reflecting strong performance across its core businesses.
This investment underscores China’s strategic push to advance domestic capabilities in advanced semiconductor materials, particularly in photolithography, reducing dependence on foreign suppliers.