SaltWire's Atlantic regional weather forecast for October 18, 2023 | SaltWireSINGAPORE/BEIJING - As the U.S. tightens its restrictions on China's semiconductor industry, Chinese manufacturers of tools used to make chips are benefiting, with orders from the country's foundries accelerating in recent months.
It marks a turning point for the industry, reflecting acceptance that U.S. restrictions on technology imports are unlikely to ease and could get worse and that self-reliance - as urged by Chinese President Xi Jinping - is the way forward. "Now, foundries are testing out Chinese-made equipment for every foreign machine they own and if they find that it meets their needs, they replace all of them," he said."They want as few foreign machines as feasible."
Some AMEC machines have entered production lines for chips as advanced as those using 5 nanometer technology, it has disclosed in earnings reports. Its etching equipment is used to remove excess material from the surface of silicon wafers.