중국 주요 메모리 제조사들은 미국 수출 통제의 영향을 완화하기 위해 DUV 노광 장비 3년분 재고를 비축하고 있다.

Chinese semiconductor manufacturers are taking concrete steps to counter U.S. equipment export controls. According to the Financial Times, China’s two leading memory chip makers, CXMT and YMTC, have purchased large quantities of deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machines from Dutch equipment giant ASML. They have stockpiled enough units to support three years of production capacity expansion, signaling Beijing’s determination to achieve self-reliance in mature process nodes.

Because U.S. export controls prohibit China from acquiring extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, DUV equipment remains the most advanced technology available to Chinese chipmakers. As Washington considers further tightening restrictions on DUV equipment exports and maintenance services, Chinese manufacturers are stockpiling in advance to mitigate policy risks to their expansion plans.

CXMT and YMTC are bellwether companies in China’s memory chip industry. The recent global memory chip supply crunch has drawn heightened attention to these manufacturers, which primarily serve the domestic market. Their capacity expansion capabilities directly influence China’s self-sufficiency rate in the memory sector.

Beyond stockpiling ASML equipment, China’s domestic lithography machine development and mass production are accelerating. According to the report, Chinese DUV equipment maker Shanghai Yuliangsheng Technology is progressing on schedule, targeting the production of 12 DUV lithography machines by year-end to position itself as a competitor to ASML.

This target marks a significant upward revision from earlier disclosures. In late July, information indicated that China’s first batch of DUV equipment had entered mass production, led by state-owned enterprise Shanghai Aisinen Electronic Technology Group. At that time, the company announced plans to produce five units by year-end and ramp up to 20 units by the end of 2027. The two firms are closely linked and reportedly operate from the same address in Shanghai.

Despite these advances, Chinese domestic equipment still faces an uphill battle regarding market acceptance. The report notes that while Chinese companies have begun producing DUV lithography machines, their equipment remains less popular among manufacturers compared to ASML’s products.

The technological progress of Chinese domestic equipment suppliers has recently drawn intense market attention. A recent report from UBS Group indicates that while Chinese manufacturers may lag behind peers like ASML by as much as a decade in EUV equipment, China’s progress in DUV technology is comparatively more advanced. Some companies are even researching methods to produce advanced chips without relying on the latest lithography technology.

This points to a dual-track strategy for semiconductor equipment self-sufficiency: “mature processes first, advanced processes through breakthroughs.” By stockpiling DUV equipment to secure near-term capacity while simultaneously investing in domestic DUV mass production and alternative technology development, China aims to reduce its dependence on foreign supply chains.

For ASML, the Chinese market remains a critical source of orders for its DUV business. China accounts for a substantial portion of ASML’s order book, and despite the EUV sales ban, continued DUV shipments maintain considerable commercial engagement between the two sides. However, if the U.S. further tightens restrictions on DUV exports and maintenance services, the stability of this commercial relationship will face greater challenges.

For the global semiconductor industry, Chinese manufacturers’ DUV stockpiling could intensify the mature-node capacity race in the short term, further compressing profit margins for mature-process chips. Over the medium to long term, if Chinese domestic DUV equipment achieves breakthroughs in mass production scale and yield rates, it will reshape the competitive landscape of the global semiconductor equipment market.