China's push to build its own deep ultraviolet chipmaking tools has already hit Western markets, wiping more than €8bn off the value of Dutch lithography giant ASML in a single session, according to Bloomberg data. The sell‑off followed reports that a state‑backed Chinese firm has begun producing homegrown immersion DUV machines for leading domestic chipmakers, raising fresh questions over how long Western suppliers can rely on China as a growth engine.
The development matters because immersion DUV scanners are the most advanced chipmaking tools China can still buy under US and Dutch export controls. If domestic systems prove reliable enough for mass production at foundries such as SMIC, Hua Hong and CXMT, Beijing will be a step closer to insulating its semiconductor industry from future sanctions and eroding one of ASML's last major footholds in the world's second‑largest economy.
