China’s leading player in the chip equipment sector, SiCarrier, has introduced a diverse array of chipmaking tools designed to significantly enhance domestic semiconductor production.
SiCarrier: A Major Force in China’s Chipmaking, Challenging ASML and Others
Over the past few years, China’s advancements in the semiconductor industry have accelerated rapidly, driven by the country’s strategic efforts to counter global influence. Companies like Huawei, SMIC, and others have contributed to establishing China’s own chip production capabilities. Often flying under the radar, SiCarrier, a company reputedly backed by Huawei, specializes in producing essential chipmaking tools. Recently, at SEMICON 2025 held in China, the company showcased its latest equipment lineup, clearly signaling their determination to forge ahead.
During the event, SiCarrier’s newest offerings were unveiled, as tweeted by @zephyr_z9. Among the innovations are their Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) systems, integral to semiconductor fabrication for integrated circuits. Although the details of other equipment remain discreet, notably the absence of any lithography tools suggests that SiCarrier may be strategically withholding this technology for now. Their step into the chipmaking market aims to compete with giants like ASML, Applied, and LAM, though it’s yet to be seen how these tools will perform on the domestic stage.
Image Credits: SCMP
Addressing the industry at SEMICON, Du Lijun, President of SiCarrier, stated that while their domestic machinery has the capability to produce 5nm chips, relying on non-optical technology presents challenges, particularly with yield rates, potentially making production costlier compared to international methods. Nonetheless, SiCarrier is in collaboration with SMIC and Huawei to navigate these hurdles. Given China’s focus on achieving autonomy in chip production, a breakthrough seems inevitable.
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 via Reuters
SiCarrier’s core mission is to shift the semiconductor market’s balance away from traditional suppliers like the Netherlands, a key provider of chipmaking tools. Previous reports highlighted their collaboration with Huawei and the Shenzhen government to create specialized EUV prototypes using laser-induced discharge plasma (LDP). This innovative venture marks China’s initial move toward developing its own EUV lithography machinery, possibly the last hurdle in creating advanced chip nodes domestically.
