SMIC founder and AMEC CEO urge Chinese fabs to test domestic chipmaking tools on active production lines — equipment makers post record revenue but falling margins
SMIC founder Richard Chang and AMEC CEO Gerald Yin are urging Chinese semiconductor manufacturers to test domestic chipmaking equipment on their active production lines. This call comes as Chinese equipment vendors achieved record revenues in 2025, but are experiencing declining profit margins due to intense domestic price competition. While localization has advanced in mature-node tools, lithography remains a significant bottleneck with no immediate domestic solution, all under tightening U.S. export controls. AI
IMPACT Accelerates domestic AI hardware development by pushing for wider adoption of Chinese semiconductor manufacturing tools.