Canon’s new technology competes with ASML in chip manufacturing.
Canon, the Japanese company recognized for its printers and cameras, announced on Friday, October 13, a critical solution designed to help in the production of cutting-edge semiconductor components.
According to a CNBC report, Canon's recently introduced “nanoimprint lithography” system represents the company's competitive response to the Dutch company ASML, a dominant force in the field of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines. ASM machinery is essential to the production of cutting-edge chips, including those used in the new Apple iPhones.
The use of these machines is taken in the technological conflict between the United States and China. The United States has imposed export restrictions and a range of sanctions to block China's access to critical chips and manufacturing machinery, undermining the world's second-largest economy in a field seen as lagging.
SML UV technology has gained wide acceptance among major chip manufacturers due to its critical role in enabling the production of semiconductors at 5 nanometers and below. This nanometer scale refers to the size of chip features, with smaller values accommodating more features on the chip, thereby increasing semiconductor performance.
Canon's new system, the FPA-1200NZ2C, is said to be able to produce semiconductors that match the 5nm process, down to 2nm, and outperform the A17 Pro chip in Apple's iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, which has a 3nm semiconductor.
The Dutch government has imposed restrictions on ASML by banning the export of its AV lithography machines to China. This limitation is achieved by cutting the critical role of these machines in the manufacturing of semiconductor chips.
According to Canon, their new machine will enable the production of semiconductors equivalent to 2nm, which may face intense scrutiny.
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As Cointelegraph previously reported, the Biden administration is targeting a loophole that allowed developers in China to buy chips from the well-known Huaqinbei Electronics location in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.
However, China has issued draft safety regulations for companies providing generative artificial intelligence (AI) services, including restrictions on data sources used for AI model training.
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