Canon (Japan)'s newly expanded photolithography machine factory in Utsunomiya City will be officially put into operation in September.This is since the completion of the photolithography machine factory in 2004.The first expansion in 21 years. It aims to increase the production of lithography equipment and take advantage of the rapid development of the artificial intelligence (AI) industry to seize the lithography equipment market dominated by the global leading company ASML.

In the face of the surge in demand for semiconductors generated by the global AI industry, Canon invested 50 billion yen (approximately 2.394 billion yuan) to build a new factory area of ​​over 67,000 square meters.

The core breakthrough of the new factory lies in the dual-track technology layout: while continuing the production of traditional UV lithography equipment, it introduces a revolutionary nanoimprint lithography system. Dramatically simplify the manufacturing process by imprinting circuit patterns directly onto the wafer.

Compared with traditional photolithography processes, it has significant advantages in production cost and energy consumption control, providing a key technological pivot for Canon to challenge ASML's dominance.

Capacity planning shows,The new factory is expected to reach full production in 2027. By then, combined with the two existing bases in Utsunomiya and Ami, Canon's annual output of lithography machines will exceed the 300-unit mark - a nearly 30% jump from the 233 units shipped in 2024.

Although Canon currently ranks second in the industry with a global market share of 30%, there is still a generational gap with ASML, which dominates the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) field, which determines the performance of high-end chips.

According to the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics Organization, the global semiconductor market will reach US$760.7 billion in 2026, with an annual growth rate of 8.5%. Some organizations predict that the market will exceed the trillion US dollar mark in 2030.While ASML is reaping dividends from high-end chip manufacturing with EUV technology, Canon is trying to open up a new battlefield on the golden track of AI computing power infrastructure through the differentiated path of nanoimprinting.