Langdao Silex demonstrates homegrown EUV light source

Chinese startup Langdao Silex has demonstrated what is reportedly China’s first domestically developed extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) laser source. Named FlintNano LPP-OXXO, the system reportedly delivers over 15 W of EUV output, with approximately 90% of its components domestically sourced or developed. It uses laser-produced plasma, a technique also used by ASML, to generate the radiation needed for advanced chip manufacturing.

According to company specifications, the prototype employs a 1,000 W driving laser operating at repetition rates between 1 and 20 kHz. Its conversion efficiency exceeds 2%, and Langdao Silex claims continuous operation for more than 100 hours. The equipment is reportedly suitable for wafer exposure testing, although further refinement remains necessary.

The development represents progress toward China’s semiconductor supply chain independence, but a light source alone does not constitute a complete EUV scanner. Such machines also require extremely precise reflective optics, sophisticated wafer positioning and extensive subsystem integration. ASML has never shipped an EUV scanner to China after the Dutch government blocked exports in 2019 under United States pressure, though it continues supplying DUV systems to Chinese customers.