Samsung, SK Hynix test Chinese chip tools as hedge against US risks
The memory chipmakers began testing AMEC etching equipment about two years ago, when uncertainty was mounting over whether Washington would continue allowing them to import U.S. chipmaking tools into China, two of the sources said.
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are testing chipmaking equipment from China's Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment (AMEC) to mitigate the risk of tighter U.S. export controls. The South Korean firms began evaluating AMEC etching equipment about two years ago as uncertainty grew over whether the U.S. would continue allowing them to import Western chipmaking tools into China.
While evaluations have not yet resulted in decisions on wider deployment, the trials offer Samsung and SK Hynix a rare chance to secure validation from leading chipmakers. The trials also highlight a paradox in U.S. technology controls, as measures designed to constrain Beijing's semiconductor ambitions are creating opportunities for Chinese rivals to gain a foothold in foreign-owned fabs operating in China.
Brief written by urgent.news from Economic Times Tech's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
