At the international CIIE exhibition in Shanghai, held from November 5 to 10, Chinese company SMEE introduced two new semiconductor manufacturing systems — the SSC800 and SSB800. A key focus of the presentation was the level of localization: according to industry sources, more than 90% of the equipment's components are produced within China. According to analytical agency TrendForce, both systems have already entered mass production and have collectively processed over 10 million silicon wafers, signaling a transition from pilot prototypes to serial operation.
Two lithography technologies under one roof
The systems differ in the photolithography technology used and target process nodes. The SSC800 model operates in the KrF range — a deep ultraviolet (DUV) photolithography technology designed for microchip production at nodes starting from 110 nm. Its tasks include producing components for artificial intelligence systems, high-performance computing, and memory chips. The SSB800 model operates with I-line technology in the ultraviolet spectrum range and is oriented toward larger nodes starting from 280 nm, which are used in the manufacturing of power and analog semiconductors, as well as MEMS devices. Thus, the lineup covers two significantly different market segments — from relatively advanced logic and memory chips to mature industrial nodes.
Optics localization and processing scale
Both systems are equipped with domestically developed projection optics and a dual-stage wafer handling system, which reduces cycle times through parallel operations. According to TrendForce, citing industry sources, the layer overlay accuracy and equipment productivity are approaching those of foreign counterparts in the corresponding class. The cumulative volume of processed wafers exceeding 10 million units is interpreted by analysts as confirmation that the equipment has passed the development stage and moved on to stable serial production.
Operation at major Chinese chipmakers
The SSC800 and SSB800 systems are already in operation at major Chinese enterprises producing logic microchips and memory. According to available data, equipment availability exceeds 92%, which for industrial lithographic machinery is an indicator of a mature rather than experimental state. This means the machines are integrated into real production lines and participate in commercial manufacturing rather than just demonstration or pilot cycles.
Context: export restrictions and immersion DUV
SMEE has been operating since 2002 and remains the only Chinese manufacturer capable of consistently supplying serial dry projection lithography systems. The company has been on the US export restriction list since December 2022, making the task of import substitution critically important for the industry. Simultaneously, China is developing the field of immersion DUV lithography: reports indicate that a state-owned company has already started mass production of corresponding systems, although their overall performance still lags significantly behind ASML equipment. In this logic, the new SSC800 and SSB800 occupy the position of mature serial machines ensuring China's independence across a wide range of industrial and computational chips.
