The U.S. and Netherlands will further restrict chipmaking equipment shipments this summer to prevent China’s military from using their technology.
The Dutch aim to restrict equipment from national champion ASML and other companies, but the U.S. is expected to utilize its broad reach to withhold even more Dutch equipment from certain Chinese fabs.
The Dutch government, ASML, and the Commerce Department, which regulates exports, declined to comment.
On national security concerns, the U.S. banned exports of chipmaking tools from Lam Research and Applied Materials to China in October. It encouraged other countries with major suppliers to follow suit.
At the time, China’s trade ministry opposed the new U.S. laws restricting high-end chips. The ministry said they hindered trade and jeopardized global supply systems.
Japan, home to Nikon Corp. and Tokyo Electron Ltd., has since restricted exports of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, effective July 23.
On Friday, the Dutch government will need a license for the top tier of ASML’s second-best product line, deep ultraviolet (DUV) semiconductor equipment. ASML’s most advanced equipment, powerful ultraviolent “EUV” lithography machines, are prohibited and have never been exported to China.
In March, ASML claimed the Dutch laws would affect its TWINSCAN NXT:2000i and more advanced models.
The U.S. might also keep older DUV devices like the TWINSCAN NXT:1980Di from six Chinese sites. According to a source, a new U.S. rule will identify the facilities and allow the U.S. to restrict foreign equipment with even a tiny percentage of U.S. parts to certain places. The speaker was unlicensed.
Sources expect the new Dutch restrictions to take effect in September, two months after publication.
The expected U.S. rule, which sources said may be announced by late July, will require licenses to export equipment to around six Chinese factories, including SMIC, China’s largest chipmaker. The individual said licenses to ship equipment to those locations are unlikely.
THE U.S. RULE SHOULD APPLY since ASML, the world’s largest chip equipment maker and the Netherlands’ largest corporation, uses U.S. parts and components.
The U.S. often changes plans before approving regulations, so time and restrictions may vary. The late-June strategy is described.
Sources predict more modifications to the U.S.’s sweeping October rules in July.
Lithography, a key phase in computer chip manufacturing, makes ASML Europe’s largest chip equipment manufacturer.
The Dutch rules may affect ASM International, an atomic layer deposition company. An Almere-based firm spokeswoman declined to comment before Friday’s announcement.
Comment Template