SHENZHEN, China — December 26, 2025 —
In a closely guarded facility, Chinese engineers have assembled a prototype extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine, marking a significant step toward domestic production of cutting-edge semiconductors despite years of Western export restrictions.
The prototype, completed earlier in 2025 and now under testing, was developed with contributions from former engineers of Dutch firm ASML—the world’s sole supplier of commercial EUV systems—through reverse-engineering techniques and components from older machines acquired on secondary markets.
Huawei plays a central coordinating role in the national initiative, linking state institutes, private firms, and thousands of researchers. The project has been likened to a “Manhattan Project” for semiconductors, prioritizing self-reliance in advanced chipmaking essential for AI, smartphones, and military applications.
While the machine can generate EUV light, it has not yet produced functional chips. Challenges remain in areas like ultra-precise optics, with sources indicating commercial viability could arrive by 2028 or more realistically 2030.
U.S.-led controls have blocked direct sales of EUV tools to China since 2019, aiming to maintain a technological edge. ASML has confirmed no EUV systems were ever sold to Chinese customers and emphasizes protection of its intellectual property.
This development underscores China’s accelerated efforts to overcome supply chain vulnerabilities, potentially reshaping global semiconductor dynamics in the coming years.
