For a long time, the United States, as a monopolist in the semiconductor field, has been very unfriendly to China’s semiconductor industry. This is also because China’s potential is too great and already possesses strength surpassing that of the United States.
This time, the Netherlands, after delivering all the equipment previously imported to China, completely turned its back on China. ASML directly announced a new ban, and the issuance of this ban has placed China in a very unfavorable situation.
Because it is very likely that the equipment China bought before has become completely useless, what exactly is this new ban that has such great power?
01
The United States, Japan, and the Netherlands jointly issued a new ban
To understand the extent of the power of the new ban imposed by the Dutch company ASML, it’s important to know what this company does. ASML, as a Dutch enterprise, specializes in manufacturing mid to high-level photolithography equipment. This equipment is indispensable in semiconductor technology, and the level of equipment is closely related to the level of chip technology.
In other words, the higher the level of photolithography equipment, the higher the level of chips it can produce. Previously, China had ordered a batch of photolithography equipment from this Dutch company. However, it was mentioned that the customized photolithography equipment was relatively low-level at the time.
After these devices were shipped to China, ASML announced a new ban, which can be seen as a significant blow to China. After all, China has been reliant on imported components and other resources for the development of 5G chip technology due to its technological weaknesses.
This practice gradually led to a dependency on foreign resources for our own technological research. As a result, Dutch companies have now declared that they will not export photolithography equipment for any high-end technology to China, catching China off guard.
02
China will be greatly affected by this
Keep in mind that in this situation, in the short term, it is still possible to manage with a batch of relatively low-end lithography machines purchased earlier, but in the long run, as the demand for high-end chips in other countries continues to grow.
When China’s low-end technology cannot meet the market demand, at that time, China’s international status will also decline, and its influence on other countries will also encounter problems.
It can be imagined that the actions of the United States, the Netherlands, and Japan in this regard have a significant impact on China, not only achieving a clear victory in the field of technology but even shaking China’s international position!
In fact, the Netherlands’ actions of shipping lithography machines to the mainland before imposing the ban were simply to avoid losing business in the Chinese market. After all, the ban they imposed targets EUV lithography machines and immersion DUV lithography equipment.
These are relatively advanced technologies, and even the 38nm immersion lithography machines are still in supply, although they are considered lower-level equipment.
The reason why a batch of equipment previously purchased by China becomes useless after the imposition of this ban is that once these lithography machines purchased by China experience a malfunction, there will be no after-sales service available.
Even if one wants the Netherlands-based company to help with repairs, the after-sales process is not that straightforward. It involves a series of procedures, and in the end, there’s no guarantee of achieving the desired outcome.
This is also why we now consider the batch of purchased lithography machine equipment as scrap metal. It can be understood that this joint ban issued by the United States, Japan, and the Netherlands against China holds significant implications for China’s semiconductor research and development. What exactly is the significance of this ban for China’s chip industry?
03
Independent research and innovation are the way forward
However, this situation undoubtedly poses a challenge to the field of technology in China. It is also an opportunity for transformation. After all, the ban imposed by the Dutch company makes it clear to the Chinese side that relying solely on imported parts and equipment is unreliable.
If the other party has the intention to use this as a means to sanction China, the consequences will be severe, leading to a situation where China will be unable to make further advancements in the field of chip development for many years.
Although China’s technology in the chip field still has room for improvement, the fact that China can develop even the most basic lithography equipment implies that we have endless possibilities in scientific research.
Otherwise, the United States would not see China as a thorn in their side and fear China’s surpassing. As long as China starts with the most basic lithography technology to develop chips, and gradually research and master our own advanced technology, we can succeed.
Only by truly developing our own high-end technology can we have control over this field and truly open up the market in the Chinese chip industry.
04
In Conclusion
At that point, even if the United States joins forces with other countries to attempt sanctions against China, they will find themselves lacking the means to restrict China’s development.
In the future, China will be truly powerful, forcing the United States to confront China directly. Even if they contemplate military action, they will have to consider whether it poses a significant threat to China.
Otherwise, even a nation like the United States will hesitate to take any rash actions. Let us look forward with anticipation to China’s future!
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