China Stockpiles 343 Immersion DUV Lithography Tools, US Report Urges Total Export Ban

Key facts

• Chinese-owned fabs had acquired an estimated 343 immersion DUV lithography systems by early 2026.
• The report was published in late September by the Centre for Technology & Statecraft (CTS), a Washington research group established in August.
• The study was co-authored by Nicholas Brown, a former US export control official, and Saif Khan, a former White House and commerce department technology policy adviser.
• DUV tools, though less advanced than EUV, can be adapted to manufacture 7-nm logic chips and advanced memory for AI processors.
• Chinese semiconductor plants amassed hundreds of immersion lithography machines worth billions of dollars in recent years.
• Former US officials urged Washington and its allies to shut down further exports of immersion DUV tools to China.
• The report adds fresh data to the debate in Washington over whether Western allies should impose a total blockade on immersion DUV tools bound for China.
• The source article was published by South China Morning Post (SCMP).