A recent government procurement notice has highlighted a significant step for China's semiconductor equipment industry. Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment (SMEE), China's primary developer of advanced front-end lithography systems, has secured a contract worth 110 million yuan to supply its SSC800/10 step-and-scan lithography system to a Ministry of Science and Technology project.
This deal is viewed as a milestone for the commercial adoption of domestic lithography technology. The SSC800/10 is a KrF laser-based system with reported specifications including a resolution of ≤110nm and an overlay accuracy of ≤15nm. It is capable of high-stability processing for micron and sub-micron structures and is considered a key tool for manufacturing high-channel-count neural electrodes, providing a domestic alternative in a specialized application domain.
The market reacted positively to the news, with shares of Zhangjiang Hi-Tech, a company closely associated with SMEE, surging over 7.8%. This response underscores investor confidence in the domestic semiconductor equipment sector. In a global context of heightened trade barriers and restricted access to the most advanced equipment, this procurement is seen as more than a commercial transaction. It signals a clear trend of domestic research institutions accelerating the adoption of local equipment, marking a tangible shift into a substantive phase of import substitution.
SMEE is reported to have achieved mass production for its 90nm node lithography machines and is developing a 28nm immersion lithography system. This latest contract win adds momentum to the industry's expectations for continued breakthroughs in mature-node technologies and the gradual reduction of dependence on foreign equipment.
ICgoodFind's Insight
SMEE's major contract win represents a concrete, albeit incremental, advancement in China's pursuit of semiconductor self-reliance. It demonstrates progress in specialized, non-leading-edge applications and bolsters the ecosystem for domestic chipmaking equipment.
