Beyond lithography: Chinese chip toolmaker achieves wafer polishing breakthrough

Chinese chip-tool developers continue to make technical progress, with the latest breakthrough in wafer polishing – a critical manufacturing step that flattens and smooths silicon discs – even as the industry remains heavily dependent on foreign suppliers for more complex manufacturing procedures.Hwatsing Technology, China’s leading producer of chemical mechanical polishing equipment, announced a new metrology system for six-inch wafers on Thursday. The ultra-precise measurement is designed to identify defects and ensure manufacturing consistency.Wafers are thin, flat discs of semiconductor material that serve as the base for microchips, integrated circuits and electronic devices. Turning a raw wafer into a finished chip requires multiple steps, including coating the surface with photoresist, etching intricate layers and wiring microscopic transistors.