The upgrading and iteration of semiconductor equipment heavily rely on technological breakthroughs in precision components. As the cornerstone of semiconductor equipment, these components underpin the development of the equipment industry.
Precision components also represent a challenging and highly technical segment in semiconductor equipment manufacturing. Under the high technological barriers, they have become one of the "chokepoint" segments in the semiconductor industry.
From a supply chain perspective, components directly impact the delivery of semiconductor equipment.
From a production value standpoint, the annual output value of semiconductor components reaches tens of billions of US dollars, driving exponential growth in the industrial scale of downstream segments and demonstrating strong industrial radiation capacity and influence.
In terms of capital expenditure, there is a continued increase in capital spending on domestic semiconductor equipment and components.
SEMI's "300mm Fab Outlook Report to 2027" points out that due to the recovery of the memory market and robust demand for high-performance computing and automotive applications, global spending on 300mm front-end fab equipment is projected to exceed 100 billion US dollars for the first time in 2025 and reach a historic high of 137 billion US dollars by 2027.
Equipment capital expenditure serves as a leading indicator for the expansion of wafer manufacturing capacity. Supported by high capital expenditure, wafer capacity is expected to maintain a rapid growth trend, and the demand for precision components supporting semiconductor equipment is likely to benefit from the recovery in equipment spending.
Overview of the Semiconductor Equipment Components Industry
Semiconductor components refer to those parts that meet the requirements of semiconductor equipment and technology in terms of materials, structure, precision, reliability, and stability.
Semiconductor equipment components have high parameter standards and complex manufacturing processes, covering multiple specialized fields and characterized by precision craftsmanship and small batch sizes.
The industry typically categorizes semiconductor equipment components based on their structural composition or functional roles.
According to the internal processes within the cavity of integrated circuit equipment, they can be divided into five major categories: power and radio frequency control, gas delivery, vacuum control, temperature control, and conveyance systems.
Classified by primary materials and functional uses, they can be categorized into twelve groups: silicon/silicon carbide parts, quartz parts, ceramic parts, metal parts, graphite parts, plastic parts, vacuum parts, sealing parts, filtration components, motion components, electronic control components, and other parts.
Based on service objects, they can be divided into two categories: precision machined parts and general purchased parts.
y type, they can be classified into six groups: mechanical, electrical, electromechanical, gas/liquid/vacuum systems, instrumentation, and optical categories.
Among these, mechanical components account for approximately 20%-40% of semiconductor equipment components; electrical components account for approximately 10%-20% and, as core components controlling the manufacturing process, pose significant challenges for technological breakthroughs.
Classification and Main Application Equipment of Semiconductor Equipment Components:
Semiconductor Equipment Components Industry Chain
From an industry chain perspective, the upstream of semiconductor components primarily involves aluminum alloy materials and other metallic and non-metallic raw materials, while the downstream comprises various semiconductor equipment manufacturers or wafer fabrication plants.
The downstream sector supplies semiconductor equipment manufacturers with a variety of components and provides wafer fabrication plants with various consumables, applicable to semiconductor equipment used in processes such as lithography, etching, cleaning, and thin-film deposition.
Semiconductor equipment is mainly utilized in the manufacturing and packaging/testing stages of integrated circuits, which can be further subdivided into wafer fabrication equipment (front-end equipment) and packaging/testing equipment (back-end equipment).
Front-end equipment primarily includes lithography machines, etching machines, thin-film deposition equipment, ion implanters, CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) equipment, cleaning machines, front-end inspection equipment, and oxidation/annealing equipment. Back-end equipment is mainly categorized into testing equipment and packaging equipment.
Front-end equipment is used in the wafer fabrication process, covering hundreds to thousands of steps from bare wafers to finished wafers, directly determining the quality of chip manufacturing processes.
According to Gartner data, in a typical investment structure for integrated circuit manufacturing production lines, lithography machines, etching machines, thin-film deposition equipment, ion implantation equipment, testing equipment, and cleaning equipment account for a significant portion of the investment, representing the primary components of investment in integrated circuit manufacturing equipment.
Typical Capital Expenditure Structure in Integrated Circuit Manufacturing:
Competitive Landscape of Semiconductor Equipment Precision Components
There is a wide variety of semiconductor precision components, and the overall market is relatively fragmented.
From a competitive landscape perspective, the global semiconductor equipment market is dominated by international manufacturers, with corresponding semiconductor equipment precision component manufacturers primarily based in the United States, Japan, and Taiwan region of China.
Due to the stringent precision and quality requirements for semiconductor components, only a handful of suppliers worldwide can provide products for any single semiconductor component. This results in a situation where, despite the overall industry concentration of semiconductor components being around 50%, the concentration within specific product categories often exceeds 80%-90%, indicating a pronounced monopoly effect.
Among the top ten leading suppliers of global semiconductor components, notable companies include ZEISS (optical lenses), MKS Instruments (MFC, RF power supplies, vacuum products), Edwards (vacuum pumps), Advanced Energy (RF power supplies), Horiba (MFC), VAT (vacuum valves), Ichor (modular gas delivery systems and other components), UltraClean Technology (sealing systems), ASML (optical components), and EBARA (dry pumps).
Most Chinese mainland manufacturers focus on individual production processes or specific component products, with relatively high localization rates for mechanical components and gas/liquid/vacuum system components.
According to VLSI Research data, over the past decade, the market share of the top ten global key subsystem suppliers has consistently remained at approximately 50%.
Mechanical Components
Mechanical components play a crucial role in semiconductor equipment by constructing the overall framework, basic structure, wafer reaction environment, and enabling special functions of other components, thereby ensuring good reaction yields and extending the equipment's service life.
Domestic manufacturers such as FCT Precision, Jiangfeng Electronics, Jingjiang Xianfeng, and Torrance Precision have achieved technological breakthroughs and domestic substitution in their main product lines, resulting in relatively high localization rates.
FCT Precision specializes in metal mechanical components and is one of the few domestic suppliers in this segment that has entered the supply chain of international semiconductor equipment manufacturers, directly competing with international players. Currently, it is expanding its product range of semiconductor equipment precision components for 7-nanometer process technologies and accelerating the development of components for 5-nanometer and more advanced process technologies.
As a leading domestic enterprise in high-purity sputtering targets, Jiangfeng Electronics has accelerated its (layout, here meaning strategic expansion) in the semiconductor components business in recent years. It has established three component production bases in Yuyao, Ningbo; Fengxian, Shanghai; and Shenbei, Shenyang, equipped with a comprehensive production system covering all processes and workflows.
Electromechanical Integrated Components
Electromechanical integrated components play a crucial role in semiconductor equipment by enabling wafer loading, transportation, motion control, and temperature control. Some of these products incorporate mechanical components and account for 10%-25% of the total value.
Domestic companies such as Huazhuo Jingke, SIASUN Robot & Automation, Beijing Jingyi Automation Technology, and FCT Precision can supply electromechanical integrated components to domestic semiconductor equipment manufacturers. For example, Huazhuo Jingke provides electromechanical integrated components including dual-stage lithography workstations and their derivative products, ultra-precision motion platforms, and wafer handling systems, which play key roles in motion control within semiconductor equipment. FCT Precision offers modular products that realize core functions of certain semiconductor equipment.
Gas/Liquid/Vacuum System Components
Gas/liquid/vacuum system components play a crucial role in semiconductor equipment by transmitting and controlling specialty gases and liquids and maintaining vacuum conditions, with high requirements for vacuum levels and corrosion resistance. Some domestic manufacturers can supply these components, with localization rates at a moderate level. For example, Neway Valve and Maxn Technologies have entered the market for gas pipelines and gas cabinet modules, while FCT Precision, GenTech Scientific, Shenyang Scientific Instrument, and Beijing CAS have also made strategic布局s (strategic布局s can be translated as "strategic deployments" or "strategic initiatives" in a more general context, but here is translated as specific strategic actions or initiatives in the context of business strategy) in this field.
Instrumentation Components
Instrumentation components play a crucial role in semiconductor equipment by controlling and monitoring parameters such as flow rate, pressure, vacuum level, and temperature, with extremely high requirements for response speed, measurement accuracy, and stability.
This segment presents significant technical challenges, resulting in relatively low localization rates. Companies involved in this area include Qixing Flowmeter, a subsidiary of Naura Technology Group, and Compart System, acquired by Maxn Technology.
Optical System Components
The market for the primary raw materials of optical systems is highly competitive and well-supplied. These materials mainly include mechanical materials, electronic materials, and optical materials. Among them, optical materials are the primary raw materials, playing a crucial role in controlling and transmitting light sources in optical equipment, with extremely high requirements for optical performance. They are mainly used in lithography equipment and metrology equipment.
In terms of the market landscape for semiconductor optical systems, international companies such as Zeiss, Nikon, Canon, Newport, Jenoptik, and Leica occupy more than 70% of the market share, leading the industry.
The main domestic participants in various segments include Beijing Guowang Optics, Changchun Guoke Precision Optics, MLA Optics, Wavelength Opto-Electronic, Keyi Hongyuan, Fujian Fujing Crystal Opto-Electronics, and Fujian Fuguang Co., Ltd.
Semiconductor Equipment Component Manufacturers and Technical Difficulties:
According to data from HangHangCha (a professional industry data platform), components with relatively large procurement amounts in the spending on parts by mainland wafer fabs also include quartz parts, RF power supplies, various pumps, etc., accounting for 10% or more of the total. Additionally, components such as valves, chucks, reaction chamber showerheads, and edge rings also have high procurement proportions.
RF Power Supplies: These can generate sine waves at fixed frequencies and high-frequency power supplies with specific frequencies. They are mainly composed of RF signal sources, RF power amplifiers, and impedance matchers, serving as supporting power supplies for plasmas. In the semiconductor field, they are used in etching equipment and deposition equipment. Domestic leaders in this field include Yingjie Electric and Hengyunchang.
Quartz Components: These are devices made from quartz glass, with semiconductor quartz components accounting for approximately 70% of the quartz market, making them the largest application area in the downstream quartz product market. Currently, the global high-end quartz product market, especially the electronic-grade quartz product market dominated by semiconductors, is mainly controlled by overseas leading companies. There are over 50 domestic enterprises engaged in quartz products. For example, Feilihua was the first domestic enterprise to pass certification from the three major international semiconductor original equipment manufacturers, and its fused quartz glass materials have been certified by Tokyo Electron, Lam Research, and Applied Materials.
Ceramic Components: These are important parts widely used in the core equipment chambers. Currently, the market for electrostatic chucks made from ceramic components is gradually expanding, with American and Japanese manufacturers dominating the market. Domestic manufacturers such as Beijing Huazhuo Jingke and Guangdong Haituo Innovation have achieved mass production and commercialization of electrostatic chuck products.
Valves: These are core components in the vacuum and fluid systems of semiconductor equipment, primarily used for opening/closing, controlling flow/direction, and regulating pressure in equipment such as etchers, ion implanters, and CMP polishing machines. In terms of competitive landscape, major global semiconductor valve manufacturers include VAT, Fujikin, Parker, and Swagelok. Domestic participants in the semiconductor valve market include Neway Valve, Beijing Zhongke Aier, and Sichuan Jiutian Vacuum.
Currently, the localization of the semiconductor industry chain is accelerating, and the procurement of wafer fab equipment has increased significantly, leading the global semiconductor equipment market in 2025. Consequently, the demand for domestic components has risen. Domestic manufacturers have achieved breakthroughs in multiple areas, with many companies achieving mass production of related component products, further expanding their product lines and advancing towards advanced processes, which is expected to accelerate the localization rate of Chinese semiconductor components.
Anhui Botex Micro Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd. (AMTD) provides Showerhead and semiconductor precision components products through advanced technology and mature processes. The company adheres to technological innovation and has established a comprehensive system for Showerhead R&D, surface treatment, micro-hole processing, welding, and quality control. Its products are widely used in the semiconductor and display panel industries.
