SiCarrier, a company linked to Huawei, is actively seeking $2.8 billion in funding to propel its plans for cutting-edge chip manufacturing tools. This initiative aims to enable China to rival ASML, significantly decreasing reliance on foreign technology. Despite Huawei’s financial support, SiCarrier recognizes that additional capital is crucial for its ambitious goals.
Investment Opportunities and Objectives
At the recent SEMICON event, SiCarrier showcased a range of advanced chipmaking machinery, designed to challenge ASML’s dominance in the semiconductor industry. However, many of the unveiled products are still in development stages, highlighting the precipitating need for funding. Valued at approximately $11 billion, SiCarrier is reportedly in discussions with various domestic venture capital firms for investment.
The targeted $2.8 billion funding does not encompass SiCarrier’s lithography technologies, which could interest potential investors in the future. The primary goal driving these efforts is to advance beyond outdated DUV technology and develop state-of-the-art EUV machinery, enabling manufacturers to overcome the 7nm production threshold.
Currently, SMIC, China’s largest semiconductor manufacturer, is constrained to producing 7nm wafers. Transitioning to 5nm technology presents challenges, as it necessitates multiple patterning processes, which inflate costs and reduce yield rates. Although SMIC has claimed to have developed a 5nm process, mass production remains an elusive target. Additionally, China is reportedly working on in-house EUV machines scheduled to enter trial production in Q3 2025, yet details on this progress remain scant. SiCarrier’s advancements may prove pivotal for China’s broader semiconductor ambitions.