[News] Korean Expert Predicts “Chinese ASML” by 2030; Hua Hong Said to Join SMIC at 7nm

How close could China come to Western technology in AI? According to Chosun Daily, Professor Kwon Seok-joon of Sungkyunkwan University’s Department of Semiconductor Convergence Engineering said that a “Chinese ASML” could emerge within a decade.

As the report notes, Kwon said China is accelerating its push in semiconductor equipment. He pointed out that the country is using domestically developed DUV lithography tools to work around U.S. restrictions on EUV. According to an EENews Europe report last year, Huawei is testing components for an EUV lithography system at its Dongguan facility. Sources cited in the report say the equipment could begin trial circuit production in 2Q25, with full-scale manufacturing targeted for 2026. The system uses a laser discharge–induced plasma (LDP) light source to generate 13.5 nm wavelength light, a lower-cost alternative to the laser-produced plasma (LPP) used in ASML’s EUV machines.

Currently, China is advancing key technologies needed for cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing, including light sources, optical systems, and precision mechanical engineering, Chosun Daily notes. Meanwhile, Kwon said China has nearly caught up in mature nodes above 10 nm, while the semiconductor materials, components, equipment, and packaging sectors are also expanding rapidly, the report adds.

Kwon said China’s semiconductor push is supported by several structural advantages, including its large domestic market and decades of sustained state funding, allowing companies to build capabilities through long-term experimentation. China is also investing heavily in talent development, with universities expanding semiconductor faculty, graduate programs, and cleanroom facilities, often supported by local governments through low-cost electricity and infrastructure.

China’s Second 7nm Foundry May Be Emerging

Notably, China’s push into advanced chips appears to be accelerating. According to Reuters, sources say Huali Microelectronics—the contract manufacturing arm of China’s Hua Hong Group—is preparing a 7 nm process at its Shanghai facility. If realized, it would make Huali the second Chinese chipmaker capable of producing chips at this node after SMIC, the country’s largest foundry. Hua Hong is the second-largest chipmaker in China, the report adds.

Sources cited by Reuters say development of the 7 nm process began last year at Huali’s Hua Hong Fab 6, supported by domestic equipment suppliers including Huawei-backed SiCarrier. The company is targeting initial production capacity of several thousand wafers per month by the end of 2026, with plans to scale further over time. Meanwhile, Chinese GPU designer Biren is using Huali’s 7 nm line for tape-out, sources cited by Reuters say. Tape-out is the stage at which a chip design is finalized and sent for fabrication of a prototype prior to mass production, the report notes.

Read more

• [News] “China’s ASML” by 2030? SMIC, Naura and Other Chip Leaders Call for National Effort
• [News] Decoding China’s Lithography Push to Challenge ASML: From SiCarrier to Alternative EUV Paths

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