China's First Indigenous Commercial E-Beam Lithography Machine Born in Hangzhou

【Dahai News】Yuquan publishes a message, on August 13th, the Zhongshan University Alumni Entrepreneurship Park, located in Yuquan District, announced that China's first indigenous commercial e-beam lithography machine has been put into application testing at a customer site, with precision comparable to international mainstream equipment, marking the dawn of quantum chip development. The event is often referred to as "China's 'nano brush'".

At Zhejiang University, the Institute for Quantum Science is conducting tense tests on a machine that looks like a large steel cabinet, with real-time parameters flashing on the electronic display screen. "This is not an ordinary machine, but a 'nano god's brush' that can carve out a city map on a hair strand." The team leader said.

The machine is named "Xi Zhong", which is a reference to its precise "writing" ability and the artistic flair of calligrapher Wang Xizhi. "But our 'brush' is electronic beam, writing circuits on chips." The team leader introduced.

This device specializes in the core process of quantum chip development and new semiconductor research, using high-energy e-beam to "handwrite" circuits on silicon wafers with precision reaching 0.6 nanometers and line width of 8 nanometers. It can flexibly modify design patterns without requiring traditional photomasks.

The landing of "Xi Zhong" has a breaking point significance. Previously, such devices were subject to international export controls, making it difficult for top research institutions and enterprises in China to procure them. The landing of "Xi Zhong" has completely broken this barrier, and it is now in talks with multiple research institutions.

Editor: Shijian | Reviewer: Li Zhen | Supervisor: Gudiao