Nikon is fielding strong demand for its legacy chipmaking machines in China, which is mobilizing resources to build its own semiconductor supply chain.
Inquiries for the Japanese precision maker’s lithography tools have surged in China, according to Nikon President Muneaki Tokunari. The company is set to revamp a lithography machine geared for decades-old manufacturing processes. Its NSR-2205iL1, launching this summer, will serve the market for mature chip technology and Nikon expects to sell more than 10 units of the machine annually, said Tokunari, who’s also chief operating officer and chief financial officer.
New companies are sprouting up in China to make simpler semiconductors such as those that regulate power in cars, electronic devices and appliances. Behind that push are restrictions by the United States and its allies, including Japan, on sales of cutting-edge equipment used to make advanced chips that enable artificial intelligence. Fewer restrictions are in place for well-established knowhow.