October 10, 2024 /SemiMedia/ — Russia is set to invest over 240 billion rubles ($2.54 billion) in a plan to replace foreign semiconductor manufacturing equipment by 2030. The initiative will launch 110 R&D projects to reduce reliance on imported tools and enable the production of chips using 28nm process technology.

Currently, Russian chipmakers like Angstrem and Mikron operate on older technologies such as 65nm and 90nm. Only 12% of the equipment used in Russian chip production is locally made, and sanctions have raised key equipment costs by 40% to 50%. In response, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Minpromtorg) and government-controlled MIET aim to develop domestic alternatives for around 70% of the tools and materials required for microelectronics.

The plan covers all aspects of chipmaking, including equipment, materials, and electronic design automation (EDA) tools. It aims to create technologies ranging from 180nm to 28nm, with applications in microelectronics, microwave electronics, photonics, and power electronics.

By 2026, Russia expects to develop lithography equipment for 350nm and 130nm processes, as well as electron beam lithography for 150nm nodes. The country also plans to start producing silicon wafers domestically.

By 2030, Russia aims to manufacture its own lithography systems for 65nm and 90nm processes, enhancing its chipmaking capacity, though still behind global standards by 25 to 28 years.