Overview
- Reuters reports the prototype was finished early this year in a Shenzhen lab, occupies nearly a factory hall, and is under test generating EUV light but has not produced chips.
- China is said to be targeting first functioning chips by 2028, though sources cited by Reuters view 2030 as more realistic.
- The project is described as a secret state-linked program connected to Xi Jinping and coordinated by Huawei with more than a thousand engineers.
- ASML confirms former employees have moved to China and emphasizes strict confidentiality contracts, and it remains the only supplier of fully working EUV systems that cost well over €200 million each.
- Experts call the prototype a symbolic rather than practical breakthrough, citing hurdles like replicating Zeiss-grade optics and noting reports of strict security measures such as false IDs and on-site lodging.