In fact, mask aligner's role is to make chips. It is such an unknown device that can account for more than 35% of the chip manufacturing cost. Although the principle of this machine looks simple, its function is very important. When the IC design is finished, the chip will be sent to the wafer foundry for manufacturing and packaging. The famous foundries are TSMC, SMIC, etc. The research and development chips of Huawei itself also need such foundries to be completely manufactured. At present, Huawei has handed over the order for 14nm chips to SMIC, but SMIC does not have a 7nm ultraviolet lithography machine, so there is no way to manufacture chips, which is why China needs the Netherlands so urgently.

In fact, the image point is that chip manufacturing is like building a house, which needs to be stacked layer by layer before the house can be made. In order to have a good house, a stable foundation is essential, and it is a wafer. Mask aligner processing is to make all the circuits and functions used in chip making, but what we need to know here is that the circuit diagram and electronic components are etched by lithography, and these designed circuits and functions are stored in the wafer.

It is very difficult to own this mask aligner technology. At present, it is one of the most advanced technologies in the world, and few countries can own it. Therefore, the price of high-end mask aligner is also high. In this field, it has to be said that the Netherlands is a big hegemon. The market share of ASML in the Netherlands is 80%, and ASML is a supplier of 7nm technology in mask aligner, which is unique in the world. That is to say, this company almost monopolizes the whole market, and many chip manufacturers need it at present. The reason why the Netherlands can have a top-ranking mask aligner manufacturer in the world is that ASML has invested a lot in R&D, with the R&D cost of 480 million euros in 20 19, and 40% of its employees are in R&D category, and many of their technologies are outsourced, which gives them more time and opportunities to develop core technologies.

In addition, ASML's lens technology is very high, with hundreds of years of technical accumulation, and it still adopts a variety of technologies provided by Germany and the United States. Although it is a Dutch company, it is supported by the top technology in Europe and America. Today, China is still a big shortcoming in the field of mask aligner, which has a great impact on our research on chips and semiconductors. Therefore, if the chip field is sanctioned by western countries, China's science and technology field will be hit. However, after the integration of resources and technology, SMIC will open the first 14nm production line in China in the second half of the year, which plays a key role in the development of industries such as 5G technology. I believe that China will present its domestic chips to the world in the near future.