Chinese semiconductor industry

Status
Not open for further replies.

hvpc

Junior Member
Registered Member
I don't know is this thread is getting too long but I already posted information about their DUV scanners in my older post, you can't say that nobody already posted that information without looking back to the older posts and don't take it in a bad way dude but the information that you posted is from 2011 is more than 10 years old.

2014 U-Presicion dual wafer stage
2018 RSlaser 40W 4KHZ ArF laser with the goal to reach 60W 6KHZ soon or is already delivered, we don't know.
2018 Changchun UP Optotech Co., Ltd. adquisition by E-Town with the construction of massive research facility for optics

Again nothing personal dude but we cannot know the current stage of China lithography technology by just looking old information from 10 years ago. I know they are not yet at the level of ASML but they are in a much better position than 10 years ago. That is why focus in looking into patents and research papers trying to decipher some more modern current information

View attachment 98584
Bro, this info you shared is indeed from 2011 and it's on the SSA600/10 prototype system that has throughput of >50wph 200mm wafer. This system uses a 10W laser.

Info I shared is on the SSA600/20 with 20W laser with faster throughput than the SSA600/10 prototype..

I also don't see an issue here, since you did not explain the info whereas I tried to provide more information so people could have a better perspective on how the SSA600/20 system really stack up against a true 90nm HVM scanner. Someone had mentioned SMEE mass producing its 90nm system, so I'm responding to that. My response is on the SSA600/20, I never try to pass its performance as the current status/capability of SMEE's new dual stage platform.

I didn't attack the old info you shared; instead I was trying to add more info on the newer iteration of the SSA600 model, with more info on other scanners that it need to compete against. Why would this be an issue? There's no conflict or contradiction between info we shared. This should be a No Harm, No Foul situation.
 
Last edited:

tokenanalyst

Brigadier
Registered Member
Bro, this info you shared is indeed from 2011 and it's on the SSA600/10 prototype system that has throughput of >50wph 200mm wafer. This system uses a 10W laser.

Info I shared is on the SSA600/20 with 20W laser with faster throughput than the SSA600/10 prototype..

I also don't see an issue here, since you did not explain the info whereas I tried to provide more information so people could have a better perspective on how the SSA600/20 system really stack up against a true 90nm HVM scanner. Someone had mentioned SMEE mass producing its 90nm system, so I'm responding to that. My response is on the SSA600/20, I never try to pass its performance as the current status/capability of SMEE's new dual stage platform.

I didn't attack the old info you shared; instead I was trying to add more info on the newer iteration of the SSA600 model, with more info on other scanners that it need to compete against. Why would this be an issue? There's no conflict or contradiction between info we shared. This should be a No Harm, No Foul situation.
My bad, I misread your comment as you stating current capabilities, then yes, the SSA600/20 dates back to 2013, two years from that paper, single stage, 20 watt Arf laser, uses the old 0.75NA lens system from UP optotech (now E-Town owned Guowang Optical ). But as far I can tell all SMEE scanners are being redesigned to be dual stage, more powerful light sources and better optics.

Personally in a perfect world I would have preferred to SMEE engage more in advance packaging, because I believe there is were the action is going to be in the next decades in the semiconductor industry. LED lithography, maskless lithography, bonding technology. But frontend lithography is an area were China and Chinese companies cannot rest in their laurels given the current geopolitical situation.
 

hvpc

Junior Member
Registered Member
I don't know is this thread is getting too long but I already posted information about their DUV scanners in my older post, you can't say that nobody already posted that information without looking back to the older posts and don't take it in a bad way dude but the information that you posted is from 2011 is more than 10 years old.
Bro, I read my post, again, I think I understand what you are protesting about now.

My statement that "no one has posted anything substantial than info on SMEE's website" is incorrect. I didn't mean to discredit all your effort of actually sharing more info on SMEE (than its website). Bravo to you and all your effort on sharing info you found (papers, patents, bidding info, etc.) on SMEE and than some.

What I should have said is that I have not seen anyone providing a fair assessment of info SMEE claims on its website or papers. You do share info, but you mostly stay neutral and not add your opinion/assessment. Paraphrasing what you shared with me before, you mostly share info and let people judge the info for themselves. So, I think in a way I'm correct that I have not seen anyone analyzed and critiqued SMEE's claim that they have a full portfolio of 90nm HVM scanners (a SSA600/20, a SSB600/10, and a SSC600/10).

So, apologies for making it sound like you never share info beyond what's on SMEE's website.

One last point. You are right that "we cannot know the current stage of China lithography technology by just looking old information from 10 years ago". But historical datapoint do help give us a reference on where they may be today or how far/how much effort they have to travel to reach the next mile marker.

SMEE's capability to build a dual stage ArFi immersion coming from their last mile marker being either:
1. already successfully developed a HVM ready ArF tool (0.93NA, 60nm ish resolution with all the HVM bell whistle)​
2. having only built a faux-ArF (0.75NA 90nm resolution) tool that has not been proven to be HVM ready and with paper spec that can'y even compete with current model KrF scanners,​
would paint very different narratives​
It's because of #2 and more that I standout like a sore thumb in this forum for not fully onboard the "SMEE ArFi in mass production very soon" bandwagon. Again, I'd love SMEE to prove me wrong, but with datapoints I have, its hard for me to bet on this pony.​
 

tokenanalyst

Brigadier
Registered Member
Bro, I read my post, again, I think I understand what you are protesting about now.

My statement that "no one has posted anything substantial than info on SMEE's website" is incorrect. I didn't mean to discredit all your effort of actually sharing more info on SMEE (than its website). Bravo to you and all your effort on sharing info you found (papers, patents, bidding info, etc.) on SMEE and than some.

What I should have said is that I have not seen anyone providing a fair assessment of info SMEE claims on its website or papers. You do share info, but you mostly stay neutral and not add your opinion/assessment. Paraphrasing what you shared with me before, you mostly share info and let people judge the info for themselves. So, I think in a way I'm correct that I have not seen anyone analyzed and critiqued SMEE's claim that they have a full portfolio of 90nm HVM scanners (a SSA600/20, a SSB600/10, and a SSC600/10).

So, apologies for making it sound like you never share info beyond what's on SMEE's website.

One last point. You are right that "we cannot know the current stage of China lithography technology by just looking old information from 10 years ago". But historical datapoint do help give us a reference on where they may be today or how far/how much effort they have to travel to reach the next mile marker.

SMEE's capability to build a dual stage ArFi immersion coming from their last mile marker being either:
1. already successfully developed a HVM ready ArF tool (0.93NA, 60nm ish resolution with all the HVM bell whistle)​
2. having only built a faux-ArF (0.75NA 90nm resolution) tool that has not been proven to be HVM ready and with paper spec that can'y even compete with current model KrF scanners,​
would paint very different narratives​
It's because of #2 and more that I standout like a sore thumb in this forum for not fully onboard the "SMEE ArFi in mass production very soon" bandwagon. Again, I'd love SMEE to prove me wrong, but with datapoints I have, its hard for me to bet on this pony.​
My guess is the first small batch of immersion tools are going to sanctioned companies like Huawei and for companies like SMIC and YTMC to test and codevelop. What ASML should be worry is about the dry tools especially the I-line and KrF, because I don't think that the big names in the Chinese semiconductor industry are investing all this money in lithography just to compete with ASML in a "fairly manner".
 

hvpc

Junior Member
Registered Member
My bad, I misread your comment as you stating current capabilities,
No problem, man. I recognize why a particular carelessly drafted statement could have triggered you. No Harm. No foul.
then yes, the SSA600/20 dates back to 2013, two years from that paper, single stage, 20 watt Arf laser, uses the old 0.75NA lens system from UP optotech (now E-Town owned Guowang Optical ). But as far I can tell all SMEE scanners are being redesigned to be dual stage, more powerful light sources and better optics.
Yeah. I'm almost certain SMEE has abandoned the SSX600 series and focusing all their efforts on the SSX800 dual stage series.

But I also believe to jump from the SSX600 to SSX800 is more difficult than what people realized. I think it's more realistic SMEE come up with prototypes starting with SSB800/10, then SSC800/10, and followed by the SSA800/10 immersion by 2025. the /20 HVM model for mass production will be after 2025. SSB800/10 iline prototype has just been shipped to two fabs. I think the next target is SSC800/10 KrF prototype delivery in 2023.
My guess is the first small batch of immersion tools are going to sanctioned companies like Huawei and for companies like SMIC and YTMC to test and codevelop.
Fair assessment. Don't forget about ICRD; lots of chatter on the street connecting them and SMEE.
What ASML should be worry is about the dry tools especially the I-line and KrF, because I don't think that the big names in the Chinese semiconductor industry are investing all this money in lithography just to compete with ASML in a "fairly manner".
Not sure I follow. You mean SMEE will under cut price only on iLine/KrF? why not don't play "fairly" also for immersion?
 

tokenanalyst

Brigadier
Registered Member
Not sure I follow. You mean SMEE will under cut price only on iLine/KrF? why not don't play "fairly" also for immersion?
This is way bigger than just SMEE. I just going to say that all this geopolitical crap is making the big guys in some big Chinese companies and the goverment worry that at least some of this tools are not secure at home.
You know, having companies with the ability of manufacturing this systems and subsystems or at least some of it at home wont hurt anyone, even if ASML keep providing the cutting edge stuff.
 

Weaasel

Senior Member
Registered Member
No problem, man. I recognize why a particular carelessly drafted statement could have triggered you. No Harm. No foul.

Yeah. I'm almost certain SMEE has abandoned the SSX600 series and focusing all their efforts on the SSX800 dual stage series.

But I also believe to jump from the SSX600 to SSX800 is more difficult than what people realized. I think it's more realistic SMEE come up with prototypes starting with SSB800/10, then SSC800/10, and followed by the SSA800/10 immersion by 2025. the /20 HVM model for mass production will be after 2025. SSB800/10 iline prototype has just been shipped to two fabs. I think the next target is SSC800/10 KrF prototype delivery in 2023.

Fair assessment. Don't forget about ICRD; lots of chatter on the street connecting them and SMEE.

Not sure I follow. You mean SMEE will under cut price only on iLine/KrF? why not don't play "fairly" also for immersion?
The gist of what you have been saying over the last few pages with regards to SMEE's 90 nm lithography machines is that they do not produce sufficient commercially viable chips in terms of the number of wafers they process per hour, huh?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top