A Shanghai-based startup has discreetly displayed a prototype of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment, the technology needed to produce the most advanced chips at 7 nanometers and below, at the China International Industry Fair now underway in Shanghai.
The display comes as the United States maintains export controls on advanced technology, while China pursues government-led efforts to break through those restrictions. After Washington blocked the Netherlands’ ASML from exporting EUV equipment to China, Beijing developed its own deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography equipment to strengthen its competitiveness in advanced chipmaking. ASML nonetheless still holds a monopoly on EUV machines, the type required for cutting-edge chips, so reports of a domestic Chinese effort have drawn close attention to the progress of its development.
The large prototype was not placed in the popular integrated circuit exhibition hall. Instead, it sat in the Shanghai municipal zone of the Innovation Technology Hall. When reporters asked for details, staff declined all interview requests.
According to a written brochure provided at the venue by the developer, Langdao Silex (朗道科技), the company launched its Langdao Light Source project in 2024, focusing on the light source for EUV lithography equipment, a core technology in semiconductor manufacturing.
While reticent about the product itself, the company was active in recruiting. The hall sits next to the exhibition area where Chinese universities showcase research, and staff promptly handed recruitment flyers for full-time and internship positions to young students who paused nearby. Staff said the firm is new and in great need of talent.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), October 15, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202610150357.aspx