SMIC founder Richard Chang and AMEC (Chinese equipment makers association) CEO have publicly called on Chinese foundries to test and deploy domestically made chipmaking tools directly on active wafer production lines. Equipment makers have posted record revenue but face margin pressure as fabs remain cautious on unproven domestic alternatives.
The push reflects Beijing's broader effort to reduce semiconductor supply-chain dependence on US/Dutch toolmakers. Adoption on live production lines is a critical credibility test—failures risk wafer yield loss and costly downtime, explaining fab hesitation despite security and autonomy arguments.