Tokyo Electron is seriously concerned about the potential impact of America’s escalating assault on China’s semiconductor industry.Â
Japan’s largest – and the world’s third-largest – manufacturer of semiconductor production equipment in terms of revenue, Tokyo Electron made more than 25% of its sales to customers in China last year.
In July, American semiconductor equipment makers Lam Research and KLA told investors and the media that the US government had broadened its regulation of exports to China from circuit design rules of 10-nanometer (nm) or smaller to 14-nm or smaller.
This increases the share of equipment that must be pre-approved for export while putting a greater amount of Chinese semiconductor production at risk of disruption.
