AMIES Technology: A New Contender in China's Chipmaking Ambitions

AMIES Technology, a recent spin-off from SMEE, is bolstering China’s semiconductor ambitions by showcasing advanced lithography and packaging tools at the WeSemiBay Expo 2025. Despite lagging behind ASML’s cutting-edge technologies, AMIES has captured a significant market share in packaging lithography and shipped 500 stepper machines. Backed by state investments and a skilled team, AMIES reflects China’s broader push for chip self-reliance amid U.S. export restrictions and global semiconductor supply chain tensions.

China's semiconductor industry has gained a fresh boost with the emergence of AMIES Technology, a newly established Chinese lithography equipment manufacturer. At the WeSemiBay Semiconductor Ecosystem Expo 2025 held in Shenzhen last week, the company showcased an impressive array of products that signal China's ongoing efforts to reduce its reliance on ASML, the Dutch leader in chipmaking technology.

AMIES presented a diversified portfolio of offerings, including compound-semiconductor lithography machines, laser-annealing systems, advanced inspection tools, and solutions for wafer bonding and packaging. The event, featuring over 600 exhibitors, included prominent players like Huawei Technologies' partner, SiCarrier.

Addressing China's Lithography Challenges

Advanced lithography technology remains a critical hurdle for China's semiconductor ambitions. Despite progress, the country lags significantly behind global leaders like ASML and faces restrictions on acquiring cutting-edge deep ultraviolet (DUV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) systems due to U.S. export controls.

AMIES was established earlier this year as a spin-off from Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment (SMEE), China's primary state-owned lithography company. While SMEE focuses on developing core front-end tools, AMIES aims to accelerate the commercialization of chipmaking equipment, as reported by Chinese media. SMEE has excelled in back-end semiconductor processes, such as packaging, which require less complex lithography technology. However, the company is still striving to match the advanced capabilities seen in the West.

Currently, SMEE's most dependable lithography machines support processes at the 90-nanometer node and above. In late 2023, its stakeholder Zhangjiang Group briefly claimed the development of a 28-nanometer lithography machine, but the statement was later retracted. By comparison, ASML's EUV systems are capable of supporting 2-nanometer and smaller nodes, which are critical for cutting-edge chip production.

AMIES Gains Traction in Packaging Technologies

AMIES has achieved notable success in advanced packaging technologies. The company revealed that its flagship packaging lithography machine commands a 35% share of the global market and a 90% share within China. Its product lineup includes tools for integrated circuits, compound semiconductors, advanced packaging, and flat-panel displays. In August, AMIES celebrated the shipment of its 500th stepper lithography machine, a milestone that highlights its growing presence in the market. Unlike scanners, steppers imprint chip patterns on wafers one section at a time, making them a vital component in semiconductor manufacturing.

The company also earned recognition at the China International Industry Fair in September for its next-generation fan-out packaging lithography system. AMIES benefits from substantial state support, with nearly 30 shareholders, including government-backed funds such as Shanghai Information Investment, Spinnotec, and venture capital arms of Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park and Citic Group. Private equity investors are also part of its backing. According to corporate data platform Tianyancha, AMIES boasts a technical team of 600 professionals, with an average age of 33 and 65% holding advanced degrees.

Broader Efforts Toward Chipmaking Self-Sufficiency

AMIES is part of a larger push within China to achieve self-reliance across the semiconductor supply chain. Other domestic firms are also racing to develop indigenous DUV and EUV tools to reduce dependence on foreign technology. Shenzhen-based SiCarrier, for example, is reportedly working on advanced lithography machines, though specific products have yet to be publicly announced.

Zetop Technologies, partially owned by SiCarrier and the U.S.-sanctioned Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has key EUV optics researchers among its shareholders. Additionally, Shanghai-based Yuliangsheng, another SiCarrier-affiliated company, recently supplied a 28-nanometer DUV system to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) for testing in 7-nanometer chip production.

Meanwhile, ASML continues to dominate the market. In the third quarter of 2025, the company reported total net sales of €7.5 billion (approximately $8.8 billion), with 42% of system orders coming from China. However, the Dutch firm anticipates a steep decline in Chinese demand next year due to escalating U.S.-China tensions and Beijing's new export controls on rare earth materials essential for ASML's manufacturing equipment. These developments add further uncertainty to the global semiconductor supply chain.

As AMIES and other Chinese firms continue their efforts to innovate and expand, the nation's semiconductor ambitions remain at the forefront of its technological strategy, offering a glimpse into the future of a more self-reliant chipmaking ecosystem.