China EUV Prototype Reportedly Operational and Could Tape Out Chips by 2030 Using Legacy ASML Components

China’s long running push toward extreme ultraviolet lithography appears to have reached a significant milestone. According to a detailed investigation published by Reuters, China has developed an EUV lithography prototype that is now fully operational and capable of generating ultraviolet light intended for wafer exposure. While the system has not yet taped out any commercial chip, sources cited in the report suggest that China could achieve functional EUV chip production by the end of the decade.

The development represents a notable acceleration compared to earlier industry expectations. As recently as April, ASML chief executive officer Christophe Fouquet stated publicly that China would need many years to develop EUV technology independently. The existence of a working prototype, disclosed publicly for the first time by Reuters, indicates that China may be far closer to semiconductor self sufficiency than many analysts previously assumed.

Despite the progress, the prototype is not built entirely from domestically developed technology. Engineers are reportedly relying on components salvaged from older ASML lithography systems. This includes subsystems critical to optics and mechanical precision. While such reliance underscores China’s continued dependency on legacy foreign equipment, the ability to integrate and operate these components into a functional EUV platform is viewed by experts as a major technical achievement in a relatively short timeframe.

EUV lithography is among the most complex manufacturing technologies ever developed. The report does not disclose the precise method used by Chinese engineers to generate EUV light, leaving open questions about the system’s light source stability, throughput, defect rates, and long term reliability. What is clear is that the machine has not yet completed a successful tape out. Even so, sources familiar with the project believe China could make EUV lithography viable for production use by 2030, a timeline far earlier than previous forecasts that placed such capabilities well into the next decade.

This effort is unfolding against the backdrop of intensifying geopolitical pressure and the global artificial intelligence boom. Demand for advanced chips inside China has surged as companies seek alternatives to restricted foreign supply. Huawei, in particular, has been aggressively expanding domestic chip capacity through close coordination with SMIC, building a distributed network of fabrication facilities to sustain high end computing ambitions.

China’s determination to push forward despite restrictions is already visible in SMIC’s recent process developments. The company’s N plus three node, widely reported to be competitive with mainstream five nanometer class processes, was achieved through unconventional methods designed to work around the lack of EUV access. While these approaches carry efficiency and yield penalties, they demonstrate how necessity has driven rapid engineering adaptation.

The reported EUV prototype now adds a new dimension to that trajectory. If China can stabilize EUV exposure, improve yields, and localize remaining subsystems, it would dramatically reshape the global semiconductor balance. For now, many technical details remain unknown, particularly around the light source architecture and achievable wafer throughput. Even so, the confirmation that a working EUV system exists is a meaningful signal to the industry.

As global semiconductor competition increasingly revolves around manufacturing sovereignty, China’s progress suggests that export controls may be buying time rather than permanently halting capability development. Whether this prototype evolves into a production grade platform remains uncertain, but the pace of advancement alone is enough to command attention across the entire technology ecosystem.

Do you think China’s EUV progress will materially alter the global semiconductor power balance by the end of the decade, or will technical and yield challenges slow real world adoption? Share your perspective below.