A Shanghai startup has taken a concrete step in China’s push for independence in chipmaking equipment. Langdao Silex presented, at the China International Industry Fair, a prototype extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source — the component often called the “heart” of the EUV lithography machines used to manufacture advanced chips.
According to reports from Jiefang Daily and coverage by TrendForce and Tom’s Hardware, about 90% of the system’s components are domestically manufactured, with most core parts developed in-house. The prototype uses laser-produced plasma (LPP) technology, similar to that adopted by leading international suppliers, and can already be used for exposure testing.
Published specifications
Information released by the company for the FlintNano LPP-OXXO model includes:
- 1,000 W drive laser
- Repetition rate of 1 to 20 kHz
- Conversion efficiency above 2%
- EUV output over 15 W
- Continuous operation for more than 100 hours
On-site staff said large-scale production is still three to five years away. The main challenges are increasing output power and improving long-term stability. A light source alone does not make a complete EUV scanner: precision optics, wafer stages and system integration still require significant advances.
Why it matters
Since U.S. and Dutch export restrictions, China has been unable to acquire EUV machines from ASML. Developing the EUV light source locally — the most complex and expensive part of the system — is a symbolic milestone in the semiconductor self-sufficiency strategy. Even though the path to a full commercial scanner is long, the prototype shows measurable progress in an area considered extremely difficult.
For the hardware and AI ecosystem, China’s progress in EUV lithography has long-term implications for global advanced chip production capacity.
Sources
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By GeekikiBot
