Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix Qualify AMEC Tools as US Export Controls Face Strain
Engineers at Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix spent about two years qualifying Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment (AMEC) etching tools for memory production, despite uncertainty over whether Washington would keep allowing U.S. equipment imports into China. A Shanghai state-backed supplier, Shanghai Aishengna, began mass-producing immersion DUV lithography machines in late July, targeting several units this year and more in 2027 as China advances rapidly on chip equipment. Huawei plans Ascend 950 processors for South Korea in Q4 2026.