China’s AMEC unveils 6 chip-making machines in 1 day to speed self-reliance

Chinese chip equipment firm Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment (AMEC) proudly unveiled six new chip-making machines in a single day, signaling its swift progress towards self-reliance under Beijing's directives. The announcement took place at an industry conference in Wuxi, showcasing the company's dedication to accelerating R&D efforts.

The newly introduced lineup encompasses various stages of chip production, ranging from etching tools to deposition systems, as well as equipment for crafting silicon-carbide power chips. This simultaneous unveiling marks a significant shift for AMEC, as it transitions from being a specialist in etching processes to becoming a comprehensive semiconductor equipment provider.

Four of the six newly unveiled tools belong to the deposition category. Currently, the global etching and deposition markets are dominated by US and Japanese giants like Lam Research, Applied Materials, and Tokyo Electron. In a recent investor briefing, AMEC disclosed that it reduced its product development cycle from three to five years to a mere two years or less.

The company's R&D investments surged by 36.9% year-on-year in the first half of the year, totaling 2.04 billion yuan (US$303.5 million), which accounted for 30.5% of its total revenue. AMEC presently has over 20 new machines in development across six equipment categories. This recent announcement is AMEC's second major batch of product releases within a six-month period, following the unveiling of four new machines at Semicon China in March.

AMEC's portfolio currently includes 54 types of semiconductor equipment, comprising 26 etching machines and 24 thin-film deposition tools, alongside chemical mechanical polishing and metrology equipment. The company's products now cover more than 30% of front-end semiconductor equipment categories. AMEC aims to expand its coverage to over 60% of high-end integrated-circuit equipment through internal development and acquisitions over the next five years.

The company is also bolstering its manufacturing capacity, currently occupying approximately 600,000 square meters, with plans to increase that to 900,000 square meters within five years, with new facilities under construction in Shanghai's Lingang area, Guangzhou, and Chengdu. This expansion aligns with Beijing's push for semiconductor self-sufficiency, as Chinese equipment manufacturers collectively make strides in response to heightened domestic spending by chipmakers.

Other domestic equipment makers, such as Piotech and Naura Technology Group, have also ramped up product announcements recently. Bernstein Research estimates that Chinese suppliers hold around 31% of the Chinese dry-etch equipment market and 27% of deposition equipment in 2025. AMEC and Naura Technology are already the leading domestic dry-etch suppliers, while AMEC is rapidly expanding its footprint in the deposition products segment.

This strategic shift aligns with a broader industry trend, as Chinese toolmakers move beyond breakthroughs in individual machines to build more comprehensive product portfolios. Goldman Sachs predicts that China's semiconductor equipment industry will transition from etching and deposition into more advanced models, such as high-aspect-ratio etchers and atomic-layer deposition systems, as well as new categories like inspection and metrology equipment.

The investment bank anticipates Chinese suppliers to account for 38% of wafer-fabrication equipment revenue in China by 2028, up from 31% in 2026.