Amid tightening Western sanctions and restrictions on the supply of high-tech equipment, China's industry is betting on import substitution. At the center of this strategy is the company AMEC, which has set an ambitious goal: to capture at least 60% of the domestic market for advanced semiconductor manufacturing systems.
Striving for Leadership
According to data from the analytics agency TrendForce, citing the publication The Paper, the realization of these plans could make AMEC the world's largest supplier of lithography equipment. This is possible because a significant share of the world's chips is already produced in China. If advanced components produced in Taiwan and the US are not taken into account, the Chinese market becomes dominant.
AMEC's management confirms its readiness for large-scale expansion. To achieve the set goals, the company plans to expand its product range to more than 100 types of equipment. The new lineup will include solutions for plasma etching of silicon wafers, as well as systems for applying thin-film coatings.
Financial Results and Investments
The company's growth dynamics are impressive. Over the past 14 years, AMEC's installed equipment base has expanded by more than 35% annually. By the end of last year, the company's revenue grew by 37% to reach $1.8 billion, while net profit increased by 31% to $313 million. Revenue per employee reached $650,000.
A key factor in success is the focus on innovation. Last year, AMEC allocated 30.2% of its revenue to research and development, equivalent to $554 million. Only in the current year, the company will put into operation 600,000 m² of new production space in five locations in China. Over the next five years, these capacities are planned to increase by another 1.5 times, investing at least $1 billion annually in the construction of new facilities.
Technological Parity and Prospects
By the end of last year, AMEC delivered more than 6,800 process chambers for silicon wafer etching to customers around the world. The company offers systems of two main types, covering the needs of more than 20 market segments. An important achievement is the ability to use this equipment for chip production using technologies ranging from 65 to 3 nm.
By 2035, AMEC plans to become one of the world leaders in terms of production scale, competitiveness, and customer satisfaction levels. Already today, company representatives interact with more than 170 customers directly at their facilities.
However, experts note that Chinese manufacturers in the field of lithography scanners still lag behind world leaders by several generations. Given the current volumes of import-substituted equipment production, it will take time for the local market needs to be fully covered. However, progress is obvious, and considering the successes of Chinese industry in other sectors, the potential for a further leap remains significant.
