Huawei's EUV lithography machine goes into trial production: China's chip manufacturing ushers in a historic turning point!

Recently, Huawei, in collaboration with the domestic industrial chain, completed the installation and debugging of the first domestically-produced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine at the Songshan Lake base in Dongguan, officially entering the chip trial production process.

This breakthrough marks a new stage in China's independence in core technologies in high-end chip manufacturing, and may completely rewrite the global semiconductor industry landscape.

Technological breakthrough: Light source efficiency reaches 3.42%, and production capacity exceeds similar equipment of ASML

The domestically produced EUV lithography machine tested by Huawei uses the laser-induced discharge plasma (LDP) technology developed by Harbin Institute of Technology . The core light source energy conversion efficiency reaches 3.42%, which is close to the international top level.

Test data shows that the equipment can process 250 wafers per hour , surpassing the 195-wafer capacity of ASML's equipment of the same level. The equipment size is reduced by 30% and the cost is only 1/3 of imported equipment.

Unlike the carbon dioxide laser bombardment technology that ASML relies on , the Chinese team directly converts electrical energy through solid pulse lasers, eliminating the complex laser amplification process, reducing power consumption by 40%, and completely bypassing ASML's LPP (laser plasma) patent barriers .

Industry chain collaboration: more than 30 upstream and downstream companies work together to tackle key problems

The breakthrough of domestic EUV lithography equipment is inseparable from the deep collaboration of the domestic industrial chain. Shanghai Lingang has built a lithography equipment industrial park, gathering more than 30 upstream and downstream companies such as Keyi Hongyuan and Guowang Optics:

- Keyi Hongyuan: Light source technology achieves stable output, and energy conversion efficiency reaches the international leading level;

- Guowang Optics: The objective lens system has an accuracy of 0.2 nanometers, surpassing the lens jointly developed by ASML and Germany's Zeiss.

In addition, the self-aligned multiple patterning (SAQP) technology developed by Huawei and SMIC has achieved equivalent 3nm chip manufacturing on existing DUV lithography machines, paving the way for the implementation of EUV technology.

Policy and funding: National special investment exceeds 20 billion yuan

The "14th Five-Year Plan" special plan will inject more than 20 billion yuan into the research and development of lithography machines, with a focus on breakthroughs in core components such as optical lenses and laser light sources.

The second phase of the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund is expected to raise 200 billion yuan, leverage more than 450 billion yuan of social capital, and form a "policy + capital" dual-wheel drive model.

Future plan: Mass production in 2026, yield target 70%

The Huawei team plans to achieve mass production of EUV lithography machines in 2026, and it is expected that the cost of domestic chip manufacturing will be reduced by 40%-50%.

According to the plan:

- 2027: The yield rate of the pilot production line will be increased from 30%-40% to 60%-70%;

- 2028: Mass production will be expanded to meet 70% of domestic chip manufacturing needs;

- 2030: To partially surpass international giants in some areas.

Global impact: China's chip independence is accelerating

The latest report from the Semiconductor Industry Association of the United States shows that the gap between China and the world's top level has been narrowed to 12 months.

With breakthroughs in domestic EDA tools and advanced packaging technologies, China is expected to achieve full-process independence in high-end chip manufacturing around 2028.

A former ASML engineer revealed anonymously that China's EUV prototype has entered the "system assembly-single test" cycle stage, and it is estimated that the full process debugging will take 18 months, and the "changing lanes and overtaking" strategy of domestic technology may significantly shorten this cycle.

Reports on Huawei's EUV lithography machine testing progress from Xueqiu , Sina Finance, NetEase and other platforms (June 2025)

Harbin Institute of Technology's official statement on LDP technology breakthrough

Public information on the National 14th Five-Year Plan and Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund

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