SiCarrier Stuns Chip Industry with Broad Array of Chip Equipment at SEMICON 2025, Challenging ASML’s Market Lead

SiCarrier, the leading chip equipment manufacturer in China, has just rolled out an impressive suite of new chipmaking tools aimed at boosting the country’s domestic semiconductor production capabilities.

In recent times, China’s semiconductor industry has experienced significant growth, propelled by a national drive to reduce reliance on overseas technology. Major organizations like Huawei and SMIC have been at the forefront of this initiative, contributing to the establishment of local chip production facilities. Despite their efforts, a pivotal player in this arena, SiCarrier, often goes unnoticed. The company, reportedly backed by Huawei, focuses on creating advanced chipmaking tools. During SEMICON 2025 in China, SiCarrier unveiled their latest line of equipment, demonstrating their determination to advance the nation’s semiconductor manufacturing capabilities.

According to details shared by the Twitter user @zephyr_z9 and exhibited at SEMICON, SiCarrier’s new product catalog features a wide array of chip production systems, including Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) systems used in the creation of IC devices. Although the catalog lists numerous pieces of equipment, notably absent are lithography tools, which might be intentionally kept under wraps by SiCarrier. With this launch, the company aims to rival industry giants like ASML, Applied Materials, and LAM Research. However, the effectiveness of these tools within China’s domestic market remains to be seen.

At the event, SiCarrier’s President, Du Lijun, spoke about their current capabilities, stating that domestic tools can now produce 5nm chips. Nonetheless, since they are not using optical technology, achieving high yield rates presents a challenge, resulting in higher production costs compared to international counterparts. SiCarrier is collaborating with SMIC and Huawei to tackle these challenges, and given the significance of achieving technological self-reliance, a breakthrough is anticipated soon.

“Our non-optical technologies might potentially address some lithography challenges,” Du Lijun mentioned to Reuters.

SiCarrier’s overarching ambition is to shift the global semiconductor manufacturing landscape, currently dominated by countries like the Netherlands, known for their chipmaking equipment. Earlier reports highlighted that SiCarrier, along with Huawei and the Shenzhen government, is developing custom EUV prototypes using laser-induced discharge plasma (LDP). This initiative marks a crucial step in China’s quest to create its state-of-the-art EUV lithography tools, which could be the final piece required for manufacturing advanced semiconductor nodes domestically.