China was supposed to be behind in chipmaking equipment. Now its etching technology is the standard, and even TSMC uses it

AMEC’s CEO says the company’s plasma etching tools have become an industry standard, and some are used by TSMC.

The report says China still lacks mass-production EUV lithography tools, leaving advanced chipmaking dependent on a key foreign bottleneck.

US sanctions and state support have nonetheless sped up China’s progress in semiconductor equipment, especially in etching.

The story suggests Chinese etching gear is now competitive globally, even if lithography remains the hardest gap to close.