[News] China’s Etching Tool Giant AMEC Flags Up to 35% Profit Growth in 2025 as Thin-Film Sales Soar

China’s chipmaking tool makers are gaining momentum amid the push for semiconductor self-reliance. According to Sina and the Economic Daily News, leading etching equipment supplier AMEC said on the 23rd that stronger shipments of high-end tools for advanced logic and memory—along with the ramp to mass production in key etching processes—are expected to lift 2025 net profit to RMB 2.08–2.18 billion, up 29–35% year on year.

AMEC’s 2025 sales are expected to rise nearly 37% year on year to RMB 12.385 billion, with its core etching equipment business performing strongly at around RMB 9.832 billion, up 35.12% from 2024, according to Sina. The report also notes a rapid surge in semiconductor thin-film equipment, including LPCVD and ALD tools, which generated RMB 506 million in 2025, jumping 224% year on year.

As Sina reports, AMEC ramped up R&D in 2025 to close gaps in China’s semiconductor equipment capabilities. Total R&D investment reached RMB 3.736 billion, up 52% year on year and accounting for 30.16% of revenue, well above the STAR Market average, the report notes, adding AMEC’s 2025 R&D expenses totaled around RMB 2.472 billion, up 74% from 2024.

AMEC’s Momentum

Notably, as previously reported by ijiwei, Chinese etching equipment makers are steadily expanding their global footprint, with their combined market share reaching around 10%, even though the industry remains dominated by U.S. and Japanese giants like Lam Research and Tokyo Electron. The report highlights that AMEC now holds roughly 15% of the domestic market, with its etching tools already integrated into the 5nm manufacturing supply chain.

Industry sources cited by ijiwei said TSMC’s Nanjing fab has placed orders with AMEC for 5nm dielectric etching tools, with deliveries expected in 1Q26. Looking ahead, the company’s CCP and ICP etching platforms, particularly their capability in ultra-high-aspect-ratio etching, will be key to whether AMEC can further penetrate the core production lines of leading global memory makers. Ijiwei added.

According to Sina, AMEC’s shipments of high-end etching systems used in key processes for advanced logic and memory manufacturing increased significantly in 2025. As of the end of 2025, AMEC’s cumulative global shipments of etching tool process chambers exceeded 6,800 units, the report notes.

On the other hand, Sina also highlights AMEC’s strong progress in new products. Over the past two years, it reportedly developed 10+ conductor and dielectric thin-film tools, several already on the market with repeat orders. LPCVD shipments surpassed 300 chambers, while low-pressure EPI systems are undergoing volume validation for mature and advanced nodes, according to Sina.

It is also worth noting that amid China’s push to consolidate its semiconductor industry and strengthen chip self-sufficiency, AMEC announced in late 2025 plans to acquire a controlling stake in Sizone Technology, according to chinastartmarket.cn, signaling a strategic push to expand its CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) capabilities, a key segment of wet-process equipment.

Read more

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