A state-backed Shanghai company has started mass-producing China’s first homegrown immersion DUV lithography machines, with early deliveries planned for this year to chipmakers including SMIC, Hua Hong, and CXMT. Multiple reports, citing unnamed or partly identified sources, say initial output is small—about five machines in 2026—with roughly 20 more expected in 2027. Analysts had previously suggested that commercial-scale domestic immersion DUV would not arrive until the mid-2030s.
The machines are immersion DUV systems, and coverage notes that qualification and integration into production lines could take many months. Performance and build quality are described as lagging behind incumbent ASML systems, and early quantities reflect ongoing constraints. One report says most components are domestic, but some critical parts still come from Japan, and supplier delays have held back production this year.
Reporting also indicates that China’s progress is happening alongside continuing, longer-term efforts on domestic EUV lithography, which remains described as years away. Separately, ASML’s stock reportedly fell sharply following the announcement, reflecting market sensitivity to progress in Chinese tooling.
