Canon, the renowned Japanese company celebrated for its contributions to the printer and camera industry, made a significant foray into the semiconductor sector with the introduction of an innovative “nanoimprint lithography” system on Friday, October 13. This unveiling marks Canon’s proactive response to the dominant Dutch firm, ASML, which specializes in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines integral to cutting-edge chip production, including those utilized in the latest Apple iPhones.
The utilization of EUV technology has become central to the technological rivalry between the United States and China. The United States has sought to impede China’s access to crucial chips and manufacturing machinery using export restrictions and diverse sanctions, undermining the technological advancements of the world’s second-largest economy in this field.
ASML’s EUV technology has gained prominence among top chip manufacturers due to its pivotal role in enabling semiconductor production at 5 nanometers and below. The nanometer measurement relates to the size of chip features, with smaller values accommodating more features on a chip, thus enhancing semiconductor performance.
Canon’s announcement regarding its new system, the FPA-1200NZ2C, states that it can produce semiconductors equivalent to a 5nm process and even scale down to 2nm. This surpasses the capabilities of the A17 Pro chip present in Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, which relies on a 3nm semiconductor.
Given the Dutch government’s restrictions on ASML, preventing the export of EUV lithography machines to China, Canon’s claim that its machine can facilitate the production of 2nm semiconductors is likely to face heightened scrutiny. The Biden administration is actively addressing a loophole that has enabled developers in China to purchase chips from Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei electronics hub, aiming to tighten control over semiconductor technology transfer.
Concurrently, China has introduced draft security regulations for firms offering generative artificial intelligence (AI) services, incorporating constraints on data sources used for AI model training. These developments signify the increasingly complex and competitive landscape of semiconductor production and the escalating efforts to regulate and secure cutting-edge technology in this critical industry.
