Nation clears key hurdle in its chip manufacturing push

China has taken a pivotal step toward semiconductor self-reliance with the successful development of its first domestically produced tandem-type high-energy hydrogen ion implanter — a breakthrough that directly addresses a critical vulnerability in its chip manufacturing supply chain, said industry experts.

The new system, named POWER-750H and developed by the China Institute of Atomic Energy under the China National Nuclear Corp, ends China's long-standing reliance on foreign equipment for high-energy ion implantation, a key process in fabricating advanced power semiconductors, they said.

This milestone not only fills a major technological gap but also strengthens China's resilience against external tech restrictions, accelerating the nation's push to localize core semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, said the institute.

The development of the POWER-750H signifies that China has mastered the full-link R&D technology for tandem-type high-energy hydrogen ion implanters, it said.

The ion implanter is considered one of the four major essential tools in semiconductor manufacturing, alongside photolithography machines, etching equipment, and thin-film deposition systems.

While China has made strides in the latter categories, high-energy ion implantation has remained a persistent bottleneck, with domestic manufacturers historically relying almost entirely on imports.

Pan Helin, a member of the Expert Committee for Information and Communication Economy, which is part of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said he believes the development of the tandem-type high-energy hydrogen ion implanter has filled a critical technological gap in China, significantly reducing the country's reliance on foreign equipment for manufacturing high-voltage power chips such as the IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor), a power semiconductor device.

This will further enhance domestic self-sufficiency in semiconductor production equipment while accelerating the replacement of imported tools with domestically produced alternatives, he said.

The global semiconductor industry is currently navigating a period of unprecedented expansion and structural transformation, driven primarily by the artificial intelligence revolution and deepening geopolitical divisions.

As of the start of 2026, the market is approaching a historic $1 trillion valuation, with AI chips emerging as the dominant revenue driver, according to market forecasts by International Data Corp.

Global semiconductor revenue surged by 21 percent in 2025 to reach $793 billion, with AI processors, high-bandwidth memory, and networking chips accounting for nearly one-third of total sales in 2025, according to a Gartner market report.

"China already possesses significant scale advantages in IGBT semiconductor manufacturing. With the successful localization of this advanced equipment technology, China's technological autonomy in IGBT production is further strengthened," said Pan.

"A more stable and secure domestic equipment supply chain will undoubtedly enable China to further leverage and expand its existing scale advantages in the IGBT sector."

Lin Boqiang, director of the China Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University, concurred, saying that the success represents a watershed moment for the domestic semiconductor industry.

This achievement is not merely an incremental upgrade in manufacturing capability, but more of a strategic decoupling from foreign dependency in a critical "chokepoint" technology, he said.

Lin said by securing autonomous control over this "must-have" equipment — ranked among the four core chip manufacturing tools — China's supply chain security has been significantly fortified.

This is especially urgent as governments worldwide are now investing big to localize manufacturing, as export controls on critical materials, such as gallium and germanium, and sensitive technologies are creating structural shortages, he said.

"This is particularly crucial for the burgeoning new energy vehicle and smart grid sectors, where devices like IGBT chips rely heavily on deep-level ion doping," said Lin.

"The domestication of this tool is expected to reduce manufacturing costs and drastically cut maintenance downtime, thereby accelerating the rollout of more efficient, higher-performance power modules essential for achieving dual carbon goals."

He added that the successful development of the POWER-750H tandem-type high-energy hydrogen ion implanter will also further strengthen the security of the global semiconductor production and supply chains.

This localized production is expected to further insulate strategic industries from the volatility of global trade policies and tariffs, which leaders currently rank as a top operational concern, he said.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn