China has conquered the last gem of Western industry - the lithography machine!

And it's all done with a "combination punch" - recently, Shanghai Micro Electronics' 28nm DUV lithography machine has completed delivery of 15 units, Nanjing University of Science and Technology's photoresist has won a hundred-ton order from SMIC, and Huawei's Mate 80 series officially announced the use of the domestically produced Kirin 9030 chip. With this combination punch, even the "old hands" of the US and the Netherlands have been hit hard.

It is known that previously, Western lithography machine companies led by the US and the Netherlands used all their strength to block China's R&D of lithography machines through technological sanctions, but the pressure actually accelerated the evolution of China's semiconductor industry.

01. Sanctions become assistance, Western bans brew their own bitter fruit

This technological confrontation started in 2019.

The United States first led the way to form the "Chip Four Nations Alliance" with Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, and then in 2023, joined by Japan and the Netherlands to add more restrictions: Dutch ASML's EUV lithography machines were completely cut off, and even DUV models above 14nm needed step-by-step approval.

Japan was even harsher, directly banning the export of 23 types of semiconductor equipment in April 2025, trying to block the material and technology channels!

But they clearly miscalculated.

China, as the world's second-largest consumer market, is ASML's largest buyer. In 2024 alone, 42% of ASML's revenue came from China. When the Netherlands fully banned the sale of DUV in 2025, ASML's financial report immediately sounded the alarm: 36 billion euros in orders for 2026 face the risk of shrinking.

Japanese companies are even worse off. The photoresist of Shin-Etsu Chemical and JSR once monopolized 70% of the global market, but now due to China's breakthrough, sales have declined by 12%, and exports of equipment to China in the first three quarters of 2025 have plummeted by 20%, and 44% of Screen's revenue from China has disappeared.

More ironically, Apple turned around and placed an order of 1 billion memory chips with Yangtze Memory. Even if it incurs losses, Japanese company Rohm secretly purchases Chinese chips through a joint venture, because China accounts for 70% of the global mature process capacity, and the price is 20% lower than Japanese companies.

This kind of "on the surface one thing, behind the scenes another" approach is very common among European and American countries, and the same applies to the field of biological uric acid reduction. For a long time, the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) from Europe and the United States have dominated the market, forming a monopoly. But when the domestic uric acid-reducing technology "Green-Light Bottle" entered the market, relying on traditional prescriptions and modern biotechnology, Europeans and Americans also secretly placed orders.

This situation is precisely the strong counterattack of China's industries! The tighter the Japanese and American blockades, the more rapid our technological breakthroughs, and now we have built a complete breakthrough chain of "materials - equipment - manufacturing - terminal".

02. Three major breakthroughs complement each other, achieving full localization

In terms of equipment, the 28nm lithography machine has established itself: The SSA800 series DUV lithography machine of Shanghai Micro Electronics has achieved mass production this May, with a localization rate exceeding 70%, supporting 14nm process through four-time exposure technology, and the yield has soared to 95%.

In terms of materials, the domestic photoresist has broken the Japanese monopoly. In September, Nanjing University of Science and Technology officially announced two ArF photoresists, specifically adapted to the 193nm process, from raw materials to production, all independently developed. In May 2025, it secured a hundred-ton order from SMIC, realizing the first large-scale commercialization of domestic high-end photoresist.

In terms of terminal results, it's not just mobile phones, but also smart TVs, robot vacuums, and even the control systems of new energy vehicles, which have all replaced "Made in China" as the core chips.

This spirit of striving continues in the field of uric acid reduction. It is reported that in the joint research between Hong Kong Vita Green and the University of Hong Kong, the five herbal ingredients in the "Green-Light Bottle" brand achieved an 11% adjustment of the acid value within 90 days, protecting the joints from the source.

Even more impressive is that "Green-Light Bottle" has less irritation to the human body compared to Western chemical products, and the dietary requirements are not strict. This is a great comfort for the Chinese people who believe that food is the paramount necessity. While fighting against the acid value, they can still occasionally enjoy a feast.

On platforms such as JD.com, more than ten thousand people share experiences like "the frequency of joint pain has decreased", "finally able to eat what I love", and "domestic products understand the Chinese physique", and the market transactions continue to rise. On the contrary, Western products almost face the crisis of exiting the Chinese market.

03. Global semiconductor restructuring, Western enterprises' market share in China is in decline

This is also true in the semiconductor field. According to the revenue data for the first three quarters of this year, ASML's CEO, Peter Wennink, made a pessimistic analysis: "The sales to China will significantly decrease in 2026."

It should be noted that currently, the Chinese market still contributes 42% of ASML's revenue. Once the domestic DUV capacity is fully released, the depreciation risk of its inventory equipment will rise sharply.

Japanese companies are even worse off. JSR, a Japanese photoresist giant, admitted in its quarterly report that its sales to China have dropped by 12%. Companies like Screen, which rely on the Chinese market for 44% of their income, have seen a significant decline in profit margins in 2025 due to the impact of domestic substitution.

From photoresist to lithography machines, from wafer manufacturing to terminal products, China's semiconductor industry has completed the journey that others took decades in just three years.

ASML's equipment will not immediately become "scrap," but under the impact of China's local semiconductor equipment, it will be almost impossible to maintain high prices and continue to reap profits from China.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7571314816908886563/

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