Beijing: China is continuing to test a domestically developed extreme ultraviolet lithography machine as part of a highly secret state backed effort to reduce its dependence on Western technology for advanced artificial intelligence chips.
According to the latest updates, the prototype machine has successfully generated extreme ultraviolet light, a critical requirement for making cutting edge semiconductors. However, it has not yet been used to produce finished chips. Engineers are still working to improve stability, precision and reliability before moving to actual manufacturing.
The project, often compared by analysts to a Manhattan Project style effort, is being coordinated quietly across government laboratories, research institutes and selected technology companies. It reflects Beijing’s long term strategy to build an independent semiconductor ecosystem after facing strict export controls from the United States and its allies.
Officials involved in the programme maintain that the goal is to begin domestic production of advanced chips later this decade. While official targets point to around 2028, industry experts believe a more realistic timeline could extend to 2030, given the complexity of the technology and the challenges involved in optics, materials and ultra precise engineering.
Alongside the main lithography project, China is also pursuing parallel paths to strengthen its chip sector. These include improving manufacturing at less advanced technology nodes, investing heavily in chip packaging and testing, and exploring alternative technologies such as photonic computing. Together, these efforts are aimed at narrowing the technology gap even if the most advanced processes remain difficult to achieve in the near term.
The push has been supported by large scale public funding and strong policy backing. Domestic chip designers and equipment makers are seeing increased investment as China tries to build a complete supply chain, from design software and manufacturing tools to final chip production.
Despite the progress, China still lags behind Western leaders in key areas, especially in the most advanced lithography machines used for top tier artificial intelligence processors. Analysts say that while the current developments mark an important milestone, turning prototypes into reliable, mass production tools will require years of further work.
The programme underlines how central semiconductors have become to global economic and strategic competition. As testing continues, the outcome of China’s effort is expected to have long term implications for the global technology landscape and the future balance of power in artificial intelligence and high performance computing.