China can make advanced chips without EUV, but the bill keeps growing

Export controls have prevented China from accessing ASML's most advanced EUV lithography machines, forcing the country's chip industry to rely on older deep ultraviolet (DUV) technology. By applying multiple exposures on critical chip layers, Chinese manufacturers can still produce high-performance silicon, but this approach comes with significant challenges.

EUV Gap Persists

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography has long been viewed as China's biggest obstacle in developing cutting-edge chips. ASML's EUV systems, which use 13.5nm-wavelength light to print intricate processor features, are subject to export restrictions. According to analysts, this EUV technology gap between China and Western countries is at least half a decade.

Growing Costs and Complexity

While China has managed to produce advanced chips without EUV technology, the multiple patterning required with DUV machines leads to more manufacturing defects, longer production times, and higher costs. Experts like Chris Mack, co-founder and CTO of semiconductor firm Fractilia, have been consulted to determine how much further DUV technology can be extended to bridge this technological divide.