Chip manufacturing: China unveils its own EUV laser prototype

What happened

Langdao Silex showed a prototype of an EUV light source at the 26th China International Industry Fair. EUV stands for extreme ultraviolet, a very short-wave kind of light used to print tiny circuits on chips. The company copies the design idea of ASML, the Dutch maker of chip machines, and its German laser partner Trumpf. Like them, it makes light by hitting tiny tin droplets with a laser, which turns the tin into hot plasma.

Key numbers

• The laser has a power of 1,000 watts.
• It hits tin droplets up to 20,000 times per second.
• The company says its EUV power is more than 15 watts.
• The light wavelength has not been given yet. ASML's is 13.5 nanometers.
• The company says it can run for more than 100 hours without stopping.

Why chip light is hard

Chip machines need very strong EUV light to work fast. ASML is the only company in the world that makes EUV machines. Because of export limits, it may sell only older models to China. Today's ASML machines make about 600 watts of EUV light, but much of it is lost as it passes through many mirrors before reaching the silicon wafer. The Chinese prototype is far behind this level.

Why it matters

China wants to make its own chip tools so it does not depend on foreign suppliers. This prototype shows real progress. But experts say it is still far from ready. Staff at the fair said mass production is three to five years away, and a Zeiss boss said China might need up to 15 years to make all parts and solve production problems.

What to watch

• Whether Langdao Silex publishes the light wavelength and more test results.
• Progress on the more powerful "High Power" version, which is still only a concept.
• Whether the company can make its laser stable for long periods, a problem that ASML also had to solve.
• How much of the parts can really be made in China. The company says 90 percent of its lasers use Chinese parts.