China's domestically developed DUV lithography machine enters mass production, with ChangXin Memory Technologies likely to be among its first batch of application customers.

According to a report by The Information, citing sources familiar with the matter, a company backed by Chinese state-owned capital has started mass-producing domestically developed DUV (deep ultraviolet) lithography equipment, a key milestone in China’s semiconductor industry’s push for local substitution. The company plans to produce around 5 DUV lithography systems in 2026, scaling up to approximately 20 units in 2027. While there remains a gap in production capacity compared to Dutch lithography giant ASML, which delivered 131 immersion DUV lithography systems last year, the mass production breakthrough of domestic DUV equipment marks a further step toward self-reliance and controllability in China’s chip manufacturing supply chain. Sources said the domestically developed DUV lithography systems are scheduled to be delivered to major Chinese chipmakers, including SMIC, Hua Hong Semiconductor, and DRAM chip maker Changxin Memory Technologies. As a representative of China’s DRAM industry, Changxin Memory is expected to be a key adopter of domestic advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment. If domestic DUV equipment can operate stably in production lines of firms like Changxin Memory, it will further reduce China’s memory chip industry’s reliance on overseas key equipment.