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The lithography machine is known as the "tool for manufacturing chips" and is at the core of the global semiconductor industry chain. For many years, the field of lithography machines has been dominated by the Dutch company ASML, but under the export control of high-tech products from China by the United States, the dispute between China and the United States over the export of lithography machines has become increasingly prominent.
Recently, the Dutch government officially announced that it will further relax the export of lithography machines to China, indicating that the attitude of the Netherlands has changed, and the dispute between China and the United States for lithography machines will also usher in a new situation.
The importance of lithography machines
The lithography machine is a necessary equipment for the manufacture of integrated circuits, and its function is to draw the pattern of the integrated circuit on the wafer, which can be described as the "toolbox" of the integrated circuit process.
At present, 90% of the global lithography machine market is monopolized by the Dutch company ASML, especially the extreme ultraviolet lithography machine that determines the chip manufacturing capacity, and ASML's technological leadership is more obvious.
Lithography machine technology represents the highest level of the semiconductor industry, and mastering the lithography machine is equivalent to mastering the advanced manufacturing capacity of chips. Therefore, the lithography machine is not only related to the country's scientific and technological strength, but also related to the country's economic security.
China's long-term dependence on imported lithography machines has hindered its independent research and development capabilities. In order to break through the fortress of key core technologies, China has actively laid out the field of lithography machines, but it still faces difficulties such as insufficient localization of core components of lithography machines.
The game between China and the United States around lithography machines
Given the strategic position of lithography machines in the chip industry, the U.S. government has long used it as an important tool to curb China's scientific and technological development. In 2018, the United States added ASML to the "Entity List" for export control.
In 2019, EUV lithography machines were included in export controls, significantly tightening export approvals to China.
Under the continuous pressure of the United States, ASML's exports of lithography machines to China have declined sharply. In 2021 alone, ASML shipped nearly half of its lithography machines to China without an export license. This has dealt a heavy blow to China's chip industry and led to a decline in ASML's own performance.
In the face of US suppression, China has stepped up its independent research and development efforts, and actively deployed next-generation lithography machines and key materials. At the same time, the Chinese side has also held consultations with the Dutch side on the export of lithography machines on many occasions.
In order to safeguard the interests of its own enterprises, the Netherlands also hopes that the Chinese market will continue to open up.
The Dutch attitude has changed, and the export of lithography machines is expected to expand
In 2022, the Dutch government approved a one-year export license for lithography machines to China from ASML, which led to a rebound in the export volume of its lithography machines to China. In 2023, the Netherlands announced the extension of its export license to ASML.
In the last four months of 2022 alone, ASML exported hundreds of lithography machines to China.
Entering 2023, although the United States continues to tighten controls, ASML's exports to China in the first two months reached a new high, reaching 32 units. Veldhoven, the Netherlands' second-largest lithography company, also announced that it has obtained an export license to export CNC machine tools and other equipment to China.
Recently, the Dutch Deputy Prime Minister publicly stated during his visit to China that he would further relax export controls on lithography machines to China. This move marks a significant change in the attitude of the Dutch government and creates favorable conditions for ASML to explore the Chinese market.
According to industry analysis, driven by the market, the cooperation space between the Netherlands and China lithography machines will be further expanded.
The lithography machine dispute is expected to break the U.S. technology blockade against China
This Dutch policy adjustment indicates that the supply gap of lithography machines, which has long plagued the development of China's chip industry, may be alleviated. China's acquisition of more lithography machines will help domestic equipment catch up and surpass, and provide a guarantee for achieving breakthroughs in key process technologies.
What's more, the Dutch move also shows that market demand and economic interests often trump political considerations in the development of the tech industry. The strong demand for lithography machines in the Chinese market has brought more and more international companies into the scope of cooperation, which helps to break the long-term scientific and technological blockade of China by the United States.
At present, China is committed to building an open science and technology innovation ecosystem. In this process, it is a top priority to connect with global innovation resources and achieve complementary advantages. The REACH model of Sino-Dutch cooperation in the field of lithography fully embodies the concept of promoting development through openness. This provides a valuable reference for China to further break the limitations of key core technologies.
Looking ahead, driven by market demand, China will carry out scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation with more countries, including the Netherlands. The expansion of cooperation in the field of lithography machines will also further break the US high-tech embargo on China, so that China's scientific and technological innovation can be firmly grasped in its own hands.
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