China may have reverse engineered EUV lithography tool in covert lab, report claims — employees given fake IDs to avoid secret project being detected, prototypes expected in 2028

China has reportedly built and begun testing a secret EUV lithography prototype using ASML-style laser-produced plasma technology. Yet, despite generating 13.5-nm light, the system remains unable to make chips and appears to be years away from achieving a complete, production-ready EUV manufacturing capability.