Samsung, SK Hynix Accelerate Removal of Chinese-Linked Chip Equipment
Taylor Wilson
Samsung and SK Hynix are moving to strip Chinese-owned semiconductor equipment from their supply chains, starting with tools made by Beijing-controlled Mattson Technology; this signals that U.S. export-control pressure has spread from direct bans to preemptive self-cleaning, with Korea's top chipmakers preparing for tighter restrictions ahead.
Who is Mattson Technology, and why is it a target?
Mattson Technology was a U.S. semiconductor equipment firm until 2016, when Chinese investors acquired it. It now sits under Beijing E-Town Semiconductor, ultimately controlled by a Beijing municipal state-owned investment body.
Its core products are photoresist-strip systems — tools that wash off the light-sensitive coating after a chip-processing step — and rapid thermal processing (RTP) units that use high heat to alter chip materials.
This means → although Mattson has not yet been placed on the U.S. Entity List, its Chinese state-ownership profile has led Korean chipmakers to conclude: better to start replacing now than scramble after a ban lands.
What exactly are Samsung and SK Hynix doing?
Both companies are evaluating reductions in their use of Mattson's photoresist-strip and RTP equipment, while negotiating supply deals with Korean and overseas alternatives.
Mattson's share of recent equipment purchases by both firms has already been declining.
In plain terms = it is not a clean break yet, but purchase orders are shifting away — the direction is clear.
What did TSMC do, and why does it set the benchmark?
TSMC reportedly excluded Mattson and China's AMEC equipment from its 2-nm and other advanced nodes in 2025.
This reflects a judgment by the industry's most advanced player that removing Chinese-owned tools is now a standard risk-reduction step, not an overreaction.
This means → Samsung and SK Hynix following suit extends this "preemptive self-cleaning" track from TSMC to the broader leading-edge foundry and memory camp.
Why are component suppliers being drawn in too?
Samsung and SK Hynix have verbally asked some component suppliers to avoid shipping the same products to Chinese chipmakers.
An executive at a supplier serving both firms confirmed their sensitivity to Chinese-linked business is noticeably higher than that of U.S. or Taiwanese chip companies.
The focus has shifted from technology-leak risk to supply-chain risk management — put simply = the old fear was stolen know-how; the new fear is that a sanctioned supplier could cut off their own production lines.
Who stands to gain from this restructuring, and where is the risk?
Industry observers say the gradual move away from Chinese-owned suppliers should benefit global equipment makers and Korean domestic equipment manufacturers — replacement demand translates directly into orders.
The key risk: whether Samsung and SK Hynix can complete the equipment swap without hurting fab efficiency — that is the critical test of this restructuring's viability.
This means → if substitute tools fall short on yield or throughput, the pace of de-Sinification may have to slow, and short-term costs will rise.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.