A Shanghai-backed company has quietly started small-batch production of domestic immersion DUV lithography machines, according to sources cited by The Information. The company plans to make about five units this year, ramping up to roughly 20 by 2027.
The first machines will go to SMIC, Hua Hong Semiconductor, and CXMT (ChangXin Memory Technologies). But the foundries still need to validate the tools’ precision, stability, and compatibility with existing production lines — a process that could take months or longer.
Most components are domestic, but some critical parts still come from Japan. Performance and build quality also trail ASML’s. For context, ASML alone delivered about 131 immersion DUV lithography machines in 2025.
So this is a step forward — from prototype testing to small-batch production — but replacing ASML at scale is still a long way off.