China reportedly builds first EUV lithography prototype through reverse engineering
Foreign media reports claim that a secret laboratory in China has assembled the country's first prototype EUV (extreme ultraviolet) lithography system in early 2025. The machine is said to be based on reverse‑engineering ASML's Twinscan NXE series and uses the same LPP (laser‑produced plasma) technology to generate 13.5 nm EUV light. The prototype is currently in a confidential testing phase and cannot yet produce usable chips.
If accurate, the development would represent a major leap for China, as EUV lithography is considered the most complex and advanced manufacturing tool in the semiconductor industry. The report suggests that China may attempt trial production of prototype chips around 2028, though foreign analysts believe 2030 is a more realistic timeline.
According to the report, the prototype was assembled inside a high‑security facility in Shenzhen and occupies nearly an entire factory floor. Instead of using alternative domestic approaches such as Tsinghua University's SSMB accelerator‑based light source or Harbin Institute of Technology's DPP discharge plasma system, the team opted for LPP - the same method ASML uses in commercial EUV tools.
The LPP process involves injecting molten tin droplets roughly 25-30 microns in diameter into a vacuum chamber at around 50,000 droplets per second. A CO₂ laser first flattens each droplet with a low‑energy pre‑pulse, then a high‑energy main pulse vaporizes it into plasma exceeding 200,000°C (≈360,000°F). This plasma emits EUV light, which is collected by multilayer mirrors and directed into the optical system for wafer exposure. The cycle repeats tens of thousands of times per second.
However, the Chinese prototype reportedly faces major bottlenecks. It is significantly larger than ASML's commercial systems and lacks the high‑precision optical components required for accurate EUV projection. Without these optics - including collector mirrors, illumination modules, projection lenses, wafer stages, and mask stages - the system cannot perform actual lithography. The power output of the EUV light source is also unknown, a critical factor for mass production viability.
The development team is said to include former ASML engineers from China, the US, Europe, and Taiwan, along with newly graduated researchers. One example cited is Lin Nan, a former ASML EUV light‑source engineer who now leads a team at the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics and has filed eight EUV‑related patents within 18 months.
Experts emphasize that EUV lithography is one of the most complex machines ever built, containing more than 100,000 components. Achieving stable nanometer‑level precision across optics, mechanics, materials, and control software requires years of coordinated engineering. ASML responded to the reports by stating that while the desire to replicate its technology is understandable, putting it into practice is extremely difficult.
ASML, founded in 1984 and headquartered in Veldhoven, Netherlands, is the world's leading manufacturer of photolithography equipment used in semiconductor fabrication. The company supplies advanced DUV and EUV systems to major chipmakers including TSMC, Intel, and Samsung. EUV lithography is considered ASML's most sophisticated product line, representing decades of research and billions of dollars in development. Its machines integrate precision optics from Zeiss, ultra‑high‑vacuum systems, advanced control software, and complex light‑source technology, making them some of the most intricate industrial tools ever produced.
