SHENZHEN-BASED tech startup SiCarrier Industrial Machines Co. Ltd. made a high-profile debut at SEMICON China 2025 — the leading semiconductor industry trade show in the country — which closed in Shanghai on Friday.

SiCarrier unveiled five new semiconductor process equipment products at the fair, including epitaxy deposition equipment (EPI), atomic layer deposition equipment (ALD), physical vapor deposition equipment (PVD), etching equipment (ETCH), and chemical vapor deposition equipment (CVD).

These tools, named after famous mountains in China like Emei and Changbai, captivated industry insiders with technology that could potentially reshape semiconductor manufacturing.

The new equipment targets key stages in semiconductor production, including epitaxy for advanced nodes and third-generation semiconductors, ALD for sub-5-nanometer (nm) precision film deposition, and CVD for a broad range of manufacturing processes.

These production stages have traditionally been dominated by multinational firms such as Applied Materials (AMAT) of the U.S., Tokyo Electron (TEL), and ASM of the Netherlands.

SiCarrier’s latest products incorporate advanced reaction chamber designs that enable nanometer-level film uniformity control.

Its next-generation photoresist coating and developing equipment, supporting nodes of 14 nm and below, also represents a breakthrough in an area long controlled by foreign firms.

In addition to deposition tools, SiCarrier showcased its semiconductor inspection and metrology solutions, a critical segment for chip manufacturing quality control.

Metrology and inspection are essential for improving semiconductor yield rates, particularly as process nodes shrink to 14 nm and below. Industry analysts note that a slight reduction in defect detection accuracy can impact overall wafer yield, making high-precision measurement tools a crucial investment for manufacturers.

The global semiconductor inspection and metrology market reached US$12.83 billion in 2023, with China’s market at US$4.36 billion, according to VLSI Research.

Founded in 2022, SiCarrier specializes in semiconductor equipment and electronic manufacturing tools. The company has amassed over 80 patents covering optical systems, materials, and process control technologies.

Shenzhen, which has emerged as a key hub in China’s semiconductor industry, has been ramping up investments in semiconductor infrastructure. Projects include SMIC Shenzhen’s 12-inch high-end chip manufacturing line and establishment of the National Third-Generation Semiconductor Innovation Center. (SD News)