[News] China’s SiCarrier Reportedly Seeks $2.8B in Major Fundraising Push After SEMICON Splash

After stunning the semiconductor equipment market with around 30 chipmaking tools at SEMICON China, SiCarrier, regarded to be tied with Huawei, now seeks $2.8 billion in its first fundraising round, according to Reuters.

The deal, drawing strong interests from state firms, funds, and local investors, could conclude in weeks, making it one of China’s biggest yuan fundraisings this year, the report adds.

Sources told Reuters that Shenzhen’s government plans to sell about 25% of a SiCarrier unit, seeking an 80 billion yuan ($11 billion) valuation. Notably, SiCarrier’s lithography assets will not be included in the deal, as the proceeds will mainly going to R&D, as per Reuters.

SiCarrier’s Ambition

Reuters suggests the fundraising signals SiCarrier’s ambition to overtake Naura and AMEC as China’s top chip tool supplier. Founded in 2021, the company kept a low profile until unveiling 30 chipmaking tools at SEMICON China in March.

According to the company’s WeChat account, its key wafer fabrication tools include Emei mountain epitaxial products, Wuyi mountain etching systems, Changbai mountain chemical vapour deposition (CVD) equipment, Putuoshan physical vapour deposition (PVD) gear, and Alishan atomic layer deposition (ALD) tools.

Reuters reports that SiCarrier and its parent have filed 92 patents, including those for DUV lithography components and multi-patterning techniques—key to narrowing China’s gap in EUV tools.

With Chinese firms still depending on older DUV systems for 7nm chips—and ASML’s advanced immersion DUV tools now restricted—local alternatives are limited. China’s SMEE, for instance, can only support 90nm production, the report notes.

Could SiCarrier’s DUV lithography systems shift the game? That remains to be seen. Reuters suggests the company has yet to unveil its lithography tools, with most of its lineup still under development and not production-ready.

Read more

• [News] China’s SiCarrier’s Bold Roadmap: ASML-Compatible Tools Reportedly Coming in 2026
• [News] Decoding SiCarrier: China’s Chip Tool Firm Set to Challenge Applied Materials and ASML

(Photo credit: SiCarrier)