The Japanese lithography machine won the order from China, and ASML quickly changed its mouth. Foreign media: it is all for profit

A few days ago, ASML said that the tripartite agreement between the United States, Japan and the Netherlands still needs time. It is estimated that it will take another year to negotiate and implement it. This means that it urges Chinese manufacturers to buy their lithography machines as soon as possible. The reason why it changes its attitude is that a Chinese chip company recently tendered to Nikon, a Japanese lithography machine company.
The Japanese lithography machine won the order from China, and ASML quickly changed its mouth. Foreign media: it is all for profit
ASML is now at its zenith, accounting for nearly 60% of the global lithography market, and the most advanced EUV lithography machine is its sole possession. However, 15 years ago, ASML was still struggling for survival. At that time, the lithography machine giants were Nikon and Canon of Japan, which accounted for 80% of the lithography machine market. In addition, Japan also had advantages in other industries of chip equipment.
Faced with the leading advantages of Nikon and Canon, ASML had no ability to compete at all. However, at that time, the photolithographs were mainly dry photolithographs. Lin Benjian, the technical director of Taiwan, China based TSMC, proposed wet photolithographs. ASML believed that this was an opportunity to cooperate with TSMC and fully develop wet photolithographs. Soon, the wet photolithographs became the mainstream of the market, and ASML also surpassed the Japanese photolithographs at one stroke.
The success of ASML is also inseparable from the support of the United States. The United States has cooperated with Intel, IBM and other American chip companies to develop EUV lithography machines. This achievement was handed to ASML, excluding Canon and Nikon in Japan. ASML has made further progress and finally achieved ASML’s first position in the world.
It can be said that the success of ASML is not only the success of technology, but also the assistance of the United States. However, the Japanese lithography industry is not reconciled. The Japanese lithography industry has been seeking to revive, and now the United States has just provided opportunities for the Japanese lithography industry.
The Japanese lithography machine won the order from China, and ASML quickly changed its mouth. Foreign media: it is all for profit
The United States amended the chip rules to require the global chip equipment industry to restrict the sale of equipment to China. ASML became the first enterprise to respond. Since Q3 of 2022, ASML’s revenue from the Chinese market accounted for 10% of its revenue, while the previous Q1 of 2022 had one-third of its revenue from China.
After ASML reduced the sales of lithography machines to China, the Chinese chip industry did not stop because of this. It bought lithography machines from Japan on a large scale. It not only bought new lithography machines from Japan, but also bought second-hand lithography machines from the Japanese market, driving the price of second-hand lithography machines to rise sharply, and the Japanese lithography industry made a lot of money.
Since the second half of 2022, several Chinese chip companies have submitted the orders of lithography machines to Japanese lithography machine enterprises for many times of bidding. Japanese lithography machines see the hope of reviving the lithography machine industry. Nikon also said that it will greatly increase the production capacity of lithography machines. Japan is one of the tripartite agreements. ASML is naturally anxious to see Japanese lithography machines gain a lot of revenue.
After all, the Chinese market is the largest chip equipment market in the world, so ASML keeps changing its face, running with the American ass, and releasing goodwill to the Chinese market. Foreign media believe that all this is just for the benefit. ASML does not want to see the revival of Japanese lithography, and is worried that it will return to its bitter days.
The Japanese lithography machine won the order from China, and ASML quickly changed its mouth. Foreign media: it is all for profit
The global chip market is so large. With the rapid development of Chinese chips, American chips are now facing the dilemma of difficult to sell. Recently, the results of many chip companies in the United States have shown a sharp decline. In order to save money, they have to slash layoffs and reduce capital expenditure. Naturally, American chips have no ability to expand. Intel also takes a long holiday for employees in Irish factories. Who else can sell ASML equipment except to China?
Don’t pay too much attention to ASML’s praise. Everything depends on ASML’s sincerity. The more important thing is to develop its own lithography industry. Only if China’s lithography industry is strong enough is the fundamental strength of China’s chips. At that time, whether ASML is willing to sell lithography machines or not will have no impact on China’s chip industry.