China and Russia are pursuing similar goals in semiconductors, but whether they’re collaborating remains uncertain. The U.S. and its allies are imposing sanctions to hinder both nations’ integrated circuit (IC) industries and block access to advanced chips. In response, China and Russia are investing heavily to reduce dependence on foreign lithography equipment and strengthen their industries.
In early October, Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade launched a large-scale program to eliminate reliance on imported chip-making machines. Under President Vladimir Putin, the country plans to invest $2.54 billion by 2030 to develop photolithography machines, aiming for independence from foreign technology. While this may seem modest, it represents a significant commitment in the context of Russia’s economy and aims to enable the production of 28 nm chips in the medium term.
Russia’s Trump Card Against ASML: The 11.2 nm Wavelength
Russia is already showing progress. In May, Vasily Shpak, deputy minister of Industry and Trade, announced at the “Digital Industry of Industrial Russia” conference that the country has prepared its first extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photolithography machine. Shpak confirmed the equipment is entirely Russian and estimated it can produce 350 nm ICs.
This achievement may seem minor, given that Taiwan’s TSMC and South Korea’s Samsung have been producing 3 nm semiconductors on ASML’s EUV equipment for over two years. However, it marks a critical milestone: Russia now has the technology to develop photolithography machines. Engineers and physicists can refine this technology to produce more advanced ICs.
By 2026, Russia plans to produce a prototype EUV lithography machine capable of producing 130 nm chips.
The Russian government plans to build on this progress. By 2026, its roadmap calls for a prototype EUV lithography machine capable of producing 130 nm chips. By 2028, a more advanced version should be able to produce 7 nm integrated circuits. While ambitious, this plan reflects the government’s confidence in its technological advancements. Some technical details, initially undisclosed, have since emerged.
Russian media outlet CNews recently published technical details about the EUV technology Shpak discussed. According to the report, Russian engineers will use lasers with an 11.2 nm wavelength in future EUV machines, compared to the 13.5 nm used in ASML equipment. Additionally, the Russian laser source will use xenon instead of tin.
Nikolay Chkhalo, a physicist leading the project at the Institute of Microstructure Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, claims this approach will make Russian EUV machines significantly cheaper than ASML’s. He also highlights a potential 20% improvement in resolution due to the 11.2 nm wavelength.
Despite these advantages, Russian machines won’t be compatible with today’s IC manufacturing ecosystem due to the different laser wavelength. Developing a new ecosystem could delay Russia’s timeline for achieving 7 nm production, potentially beyond the three years Shpak envisions for delivering the first advanced EUV equipment.
Image | TSMC
View 0 comments