Red-hot Chinese chip investment fuels boom in used equipment

Strong demand for older models creates tailwind for Nikon, Japanese peers

20220419N Disco

Demand for chipmaking equipment has outpaced supply in some cases. (Photo courtesy of cutting machine supplier Disco)

MOMOKA MATSUMOTO and RYOSUKE EGUCHI, Nikkei staff writers

TOKYO -- Prices of secondhand chipmaking machines have soared over the past two years on ravenous demand, especially in China, which is projected to account for a fifth of global chip production capacity this year.

For used lithography machines that etch circuits onto silicon wafers, prices have doubled, according to industry sources.

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