More needed to protect chip sectorBy Liao Ming-hui 廖明輝Geopolitical competition has turned the semiconductor industry into a key sector being contested globally. On the other hand, Beijing is trying to break through that wall, using talent mobility and AI as shortcuts. China’s semiconductor industry faces four major bottlenecks: semiconductor equipment for advanced manufacturing processes, electronic design automation (EDA) software for semiconductor design, high-end AI chips and semiconductor talent. By adopting the technology of optical proximity correction, China has attempted to improve the low yield rate of deep ultraviolet multiple exposure processes caused by the optical proximity effect. The US “small yard and high wall” blockade focuses on the extreme ultraviolet equipment and deep ultraviolet lithography equipment, as well as high-end AI chips and EDA software.
