Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
At WeSemiBay, SiCarrier and its subsidiaries showcase homegrown chip tools and software amid intensifying U.S.–China tech tension
The WeSemiBay Semiconductor Ecosystem Expo underway in Shenzhen has emerged as a clear stage for China to exhibit strides in semiconductor self-sufficiency.
At the event, state-backed chip equipment maker SiCarrier and its units unveiled a range of advanced tools and software aimed at reducing reliance on foreign suppliers.
SiCarrier itself displayed over a dozen offerings covering optical inspection, physical and X-ray metrology, etching, diffusion systems, and thin-film deposition machines.
A subsidiary, Longsight Technologies, introduced an ultra-high-speed oscilloscope with 90 gigahertz bandwidth—designed to support next-generation 3-nanometre and sub-3 nm process development.
That is a significant leap compared with most Chinese oscilloscopes, which have traditionally capped out between 8 and 18 GHz.
Another unit, Qiyunfang, launched two in-house electronic design automation (EDA) tools: one for schematic capture and another for printed circuit board design.
These domestically developed software tools, compatible with Chinese operating systems and middleware, are claimed to exceed industry benchmarks in performance by some 30 percent and to shorten hardware development cycles by up to 40 percent.
The launch is especially salient given that China has long depended on foreign EDA platforms controlled by firms such as Cadence, Synopsys, and Siemens.
Observers say the showcase aligns with Beijing’s broader strategy of pushing toward technological autonomy.
The Shenzhen municipal government backs SiCarrier, and the firm has ties to Huawei, which itself is pursuing chip independence under U.S. export restrictions.
In 2024, SiCarrier was added to the U.S. export control Entity List, a measure aimed at limiting access to advanced semiconductor technology.
Even as SiCarrier seeks to occupy a fuller share of China’s chip equipment landscape, questions remain.
The company’s president, Du Lijun, acknowledged yield challenges inherent in multi-patterning techniques that attempt to bypass the need for extreme ultraviolet lithography systems.
Still, SiCarrier’s tools are already used by major domestic foundries, including SMIC.
Financially, SiCarrier’s outlook is ambitious: orders reportedly exceed RMB 10 billion, and the firm is targeting a valuation of RMB 65 billion amid a major fundraising effort.
It aims to expand rapidly in advanced process equipment while rolling out a broader product portfolio.
The WeSemiBay Expo is itself expanding.
From October 15 to 17, the event will occupy over 60,000 square metres and host more than 600 companies across the full semiconductor chain.
It includes dedicated sectors for wafer manufacturing, advanced packaging, compound semiconductors, AI chips, RISC-V ecosystems, and chiplet technologies—underscoring Shenzhen’s ambition to be a global nexus for semiconductor innovation.
As China continues to accelerate domestic advances in metrology hardware and design software, the showcase at WeSemiBay may mark a turning point: a leap from reliance to competition, with SiCarrier positioned as a central player in China’s semiconductor ambitions.
At the event, state-backed chip equipment maker SiCarrier and its units unveiled a range of advanced tools and software aimed at reducing reliance on foreign suppliers.
SiCarrier itself displayed over a dozen offerings covering optical inspection, physical and X-ray metrology, etching, diffusion systems, and thin-film deposition machines.
A subsidiary, Longsight Technologies, introduced an ultra-high-speed oscilloscope with 90 gigahertz bandwidth—designed to support next-generation 3-nanometre and sub-3 nm process development.
That is a significant leap compared with most Chinese oscilloscopes, which have traditionally capped out between 8 and 18 GHz.
Another unit, Qiyunfang, launched two in-house electronic design automation (EDA) tools: one for schematic capture and another for printed circuit board design.
These domestically developed software tools, compatible with Chinese operating systems and middleware, are claimed to exceed industry benchmarks in performance by some 30 percent and to shorten hardware development cycles by up to 40 percent.
The launch is especially salient given that China has long depended on foreign EDA platforms controlled by firms such as Cadence, Synopsys, and Siemens.
Observers say the showcase aligns with Beijing’s broader strategy of pushing toward technological autonomy.
The Shenzhen municipal government backs SiCarrier, and the firm has ties to Huawei, which itself is pursuing chip independence under U.S. export restrictions.
In 2024, SiCarrier was added to the U.S. export control Entity List, a measure aimed at limiting access to advanced semiconductor technology.
Even as SiCarrier seeks to occupy a fuller share of China’s chip equipment landscape, questions remain.
The company’s president, Du Lijun, acknowledged yield challenges inherent in multi-patterning techniques that attempt to bypass the need for extreme ultraviolet lithography systems.
Still, SiCarrier’s tools are already used by major domestic foundries, including SMIC.
Financially, SiCarrier’s outlook is ambitious: orders reportedly exceed RMB 10 billion, and the firm is targeting a valuation of RMB 65 billion amid a major fundraising effort.
It aims to expand rapidly in advanced process equipment while rolling out a broader product portfolio.
The WeSemiBay Expo is itself expanding.
From October 15 to 17, the event will occupy over 60,000 square metres and host more than 600 companies across the full semiconductor chain.
It includes dedicated sectors for wafer manufacturing, advanced packaging, compound semiconductors, AI chips, RISC-V ecosystems, and chiplet technologies—underscoring Shenzhen’s ambition to be a global nexus for semiconductor innovation.
As China continues to accelerate domestic advances in metrology hardware and design software, the showcase at WeSemiBay may mark a turning point: a leap from reliance to competition, with SiCarrier positioned as a central player in China’s semiconductor ambitions.
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