Prinano Validates 8 Inch Photonic Chip Fabrication Using Nanoimprint Lithography to Bypass ASML Equipment and Strengthen China Domestic Semiconductor Supply Chain
Prinano, a Chinese startup specializing in semiconductor equipment, has announced that they have successfully validated a process for fabricating photonic chips on 8 inch silicon wafers without using traditional deep ultraviolet lithography machines. The South China Morning Post reports that this method completely bypasses the need for expensive, optically based projection equipment from Dutch company ASML that is currently restricted under international export controls. Prinano is based in Hangzhou and partnered with Shenzhen Litra Technology for this fabrication process.
Traditionally, chip manufacturing works by projecting complex circuit designs onto wafers with deep ultraviolet light. In contrast, Prinano has developed its own system, the PL AS vacuum air cushion nanoimprint lithography machine. In this process, nano scale patterns are physically stamped onto the wafer surface using specially prepared double layer imprinting materials. Prinano claims that the physical replication nature of this technology significantly cuts down on costs to about 10% of the capital outlay for deep ultraviolet lithography machines.
Since no complex optical projection lenses are required in the nanoimprint process, it is particularly cost effective for fabricating customized components. The system supports on wafer production of photonic chips, which rely on the transmission of data via light waves rather than electrical currents. Such components are crucial for optical fiber communication networks, data centers, automotive lidars and high performance sensors. It can produce extremely precise patterns with line width resolutions below 10nm, along with excellent control over wafer level pressure.
While this workaround provides a potentially valuable way to circumvent trade restrictions, the scalability of nanoimprint lithography in mainstream chip manufacturing remains an open question to the industry. A report by research firm SemiAnalysis finds that although nanoimprint machines are relatively inexpensive to buy, their cost effectiveness in the long run depends on factors such as throughput, mold lifetime and process consistency. While suitable for patterned specialized optics, like waveguides and ring resonators, experts do not anticipate nanoimprint lithography being able to compete with extreme ultraviolet lithography for the high resolution patterning of logic processors for computers and smart devices.
Furthermore, Prinano has not disclosed specific key performance metrics of their process, such as volumes, yields or independent verification results. Without this data, it is difficult to determine if the technology has moved beyond laboratory scale into a commercially viable manufacturing process. It is important to note that the principle of nanoimprint lithography was first developed at Princeton University in the 1990s by Professor Stephen Y Chou; his student Ge Haixiong founded Prinano in 2017. Japan's Canon has previously explored the commercialization of similar systems as an alternative, low power lithography method, but struggled with similar yield challenges in mass production.
Within China's domestic semiconductor supply chain, the development of this technology could represent a viable workaround in the face of significant trade restrictions. Given that access to advanced lithography machines made in the Netherlands is now barred, local companies are naturally searching for alternative fabrication methods. This mirrors broader domestic trends and research aimed at achieving system level and performance gains through other methods, such as advanced packaging and 3D integration, rather than just shrinking transistor sizes. By applying nanoimprint lithography for compound semiconductor based production of technologies like optical communication components on gallium arsenide and indium phosphide, Prinano hopes to secure a stable domestic supply for the high growth optical communication market.
