Recently, global lithography machine giant ASML (ASML) released a third-quarter performance expectation that fell short of market expectations, coupled with the United States government once again put pressure on its allies to restrict chip trade with China, resulting in a general decline in chip stocks in the United States stock market. As an industry leader with a market value of more than 2.6 trillion yuan, ASML's share price plummeted by nearly 13%. This series of events not only reflects the volatility of the global semiconductor industry, but also highlights the challenges and opportunities facing China's semiconductor industry.
Technological breakthroughs in the rise of domestic lithography machines
Under the United States-led chip ban, China's semiconductor industry is facing unprecedented pressure. However, this pressure has also become a catalyst for the localization process. Recently, significant progress has been made in photoresists for domestic advanced processes. In the field of g/I line and KrF photoresist, domestic substitution has achieved a certain degree of breakthrough. What's more encouraging is that ArF photoresist technology has also gradually made core breakthroughs, laying a solid foundation for the rise of domestic lithography machines. These developments have not only reduced its dependence on imports, but also created conditions for China to gain more say in the global semiconductor industry chain.
The market opportunities brought by the rise of domestic lithography machines
With the progress of domestic lithography machine technology, the lithography machine concept stocks in the A-share market have also ushered in new development opportunities. Taking Rongta photosensitive as an example, its photoresist products have been widely used in flat panel displays, LEDs and integrated circuits. Kuangshun materials are expected to grow net profit more than 12 times this year, becoming a leader in the industry. The performance growth rate of companies such as Jingrui Electric Materials and Feikai Materials is also expected to exceed two times. These data fully show that the rise of domestic lithography machine is not only a technological breakthrough, but also a huge market opportunity. With the deepening of the localization process, we have reason to believe that China's semiconductor industry will occupy a more important position in the global supply chain.
Despite facing many challenges, the trend of the rise of domestic lithography machines has been irreversible. In the context of United States sanctions and the restructuring of global supply chains, China's semiconductor industry is undergoing a profound change. Through continuous technological innovation and market development, domestic lithography machines are expected to achieve a qualitative leap in the next few years and win more initiative for China in the global semiconductor competition. At the same time, this process will also bring new opportunities for investors and promote the rapid development of related industrial chains. It is foreseeable that the rise of domestic lithography machines will become a new engine for the development of China's semiconductor industry, injecting strong impetus into the realization of independent innovation in science and technology.