China startup demoes prototype EUV light source

What happened

According to Tom's Hardware, published 16 October 2026, Chinese startup Langdao Silex (established in 2024 by Tsinghua University's Gas Discharge Plasma Laboratory alumni) demonstrated a prototype EUV light source with over 15W of output power, 90% domestic components, and decent uptime at the 26th China International Industry Fair in Shanghai, without lighting it up. The FlintNano LPP-OXXO system uses laser-produced plasma (LPP) technology with a 1,000W driving laser operating at 1kHz–20kHz, conversion efficiency exceeding 2%, brightness of 100 W/(mm²·sr), continuous operation of over 100 hours, plasma stability of 3% RMS and EUV output power stability of 5%; however, its output remains insufficient for high-volume chip production, and the company has not disclosed whether the 15W is measured at the plasma or at intermediate focus. Per TrendForce, citing various sources, the company will need another three to five years to commercialize its technology. Langdao is also developing the higher-power FlintMicro-LPP EUV source, which has completed proof-of-principle validation, but its output power, conversion efficiency and operating lifetime are undisclosed. A light source alone does not make an EUV scanner; a complete EUV lithography scanner would require further advances in collection/illumination optics, multilayer mirrors, wafer and reticle stages, and system integration.

Impact and signal

Affected components and suppliers

Source and time

Source: Tom's Hardware · 10/16/2026 · View original source