China's largest chipmaker testing first homegrown immersion DUV litho tool — SMIC takes significant step on road to wafer fab equipment self-sufficiency

China's largest chipmaker, SMIC, is testing one of China's first domestic immersion DUV lithography tools, a significant step towards self-sufficiency in wafer fab equipment. The system, developed by Shanghai Yuliangsheng Technology Co., could potentially be used for 7nm or 5nm production nodes. SMIC aims to localize its entire supply chain to reduce reliance on U.S. or European export policies. The tool, codenamed 'Mount Everest,' is part of China's efforts to advance its chip production capabilities. However, it may take until 2030 for SMIC to achieve sub-10nm fabrication processes on domestic lithography systems.