> Europe desperately needs to secure its own semi conductor supply chain.

To be fair, Europe does have ASML which has something like 2/3 market share in DUV and almost monoplistic in EUV.

The moat is enormous, so they are unlikely to face any serious competition for at least a decade if not more.

China is already catching up. They have a desktop-sized 14nm EUV machine, and Xiami is setting up a 3nm manufacturing line, both entirely with local tech. Thanks USA for the export ban.

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ecshafer 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

China has been dumping massive amounts of resources in this for at least 20 years, this (Making chips domestically with local tech) has been a long term goal for a very long time. The chip ban is relatively recent. IF it had an effect it was merely expediting a process that was going to happen regardless. China was NEVER going to be content importing Western chips or western machines to make chips indefinitely.

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kevin_thibedeau 3 hours ago | parent [-]

The EUV ban is not recent.

	▲	ecshafer 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		2019 is pretty recent. But it doesn't matter if the ban is 2000 or 2025. China was going to try and get the machines through subterfuge, industrial espionage, reverse engineering or novel engineering. They were always going to get a domestic chip production industry, its a matter of national security.

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traceroute66 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> China is already catching up.

Sure of course, just like COMAC vs Airbus/Boeing, BYD vs Western EVs etc.

But this is a bit different IMHO.

First there's still a lot of catching-up to do.

And second are they going to be able to gain sufficient marketshare in the Western market ? I am thinking here, both in terms of displacing ASML and in terms of Western companies being willing to depend on Chinese tech for such critical activities.

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andy_ppp 7 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Xiami have designed a 3nm chip, however I am not convinced SMIC have a process for them to build the chip at any scale yet. Let's see - eventually China will obviously have a process comparable to TSMC but I think currently they are at least 18 months behind. They were 5 years behind before the sanctions so they are catching up fast.

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KK7NIL 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> They have a desktop-sized 14nm EUV

Who falls for this crap? An ASML EUV machine costs over $100 million and is delivered in dozens of shipping containers, taking up 2 floors in a fab.

You're going to need really extraordinary evidence that the PRC has a "desktop sized EUV machine" if you want us to believe you.

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speed_spread 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

They would be catching up anyway. At least now there will be a second source for the tech. ASML does fantastic work but they may not have all the answers.