View of SMEE's front-end dry lithography platform model shown at the 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai Photo: SMEE WeChat account

Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment Group, widely known as SMEE, brought a model of its next-generation front-end dry lithography platform to the ongoing ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, showcasing its imaging performance matching leading international counterparts.

The exhibited model adopts a transparent cutaway design, visually presenting the optical pathway of the entire machine and the architectural layout of its internal electromechanical systems.

According to SMEE, the platform represents a standardized domestic in-line dry lithography equipment architecture, compatible with both I-line and KrF technology routes. Core systems of the entire machine - including high-precision objective lenses and illumination, high-speed dual wafer and reticle stages, integrated automated material handling, and high-accuracy alignment and leveling sensors - have achieved full-chain independent control. 

The platform demonstrates stable process adaptability and reliable performance in production-line operation, SMEE said. 

Currently, the imaging performance of domestic in-line dry lithography machines is comparable to that of leading international counterparts, while overlay accuracy and throughput are rapidly closing in on global benchmarks. 

According to SMEE, multiple units have been operating reliably over extended periods on mass production lines of top-tier domestic logic and memory manufacturers, supporting a cumulative output of more than 10 million wafers, with an effective equipment operation rate exceeding 92 percent. 

SMEE said that the new developments have strengthened its control over proprietary technology, enabled the replacement of imported equipment with domestic alternatives and helped establish a secure and reliable industrial supply chain, meeting the development needs of the semiconductor industry.

"The most important feature of this lithography machine is not how advanced it is. In fact, it is already being mass-produced. This demonstrates that, in many fields, it has become entirely possible for China to manufacture chips using its own lithography equipment," Xiang Ligang, president of the Beijing Institute of Intelligent Era Industry, told the Global Times on Monday.

"Actually, from this very lithography machine, we can also see the possibility of breakthroughs in even newer generations of equipment," Xiang said.

Founded in 2002, SMEE says it is the only domestic manufacturer capable of consistently mass-producing and delivering in-line dry lithography machines. The company describes itself as a core pillar of China's independent supply system for front-end lithography equipment.