Asian Chip Stocks Plunge as China Reports DUV Lithography Breakthrough

A broad Asian semiconductor index fell 7.5% on July 28, 2026 — its worst since March — after reports a Chinese state-backed firm began mass producing immersion DUV lithography tools. That equipment etches circuit patterns onto silicon, easing a key bottleneck for China's chip self-sufficiency. Samsung fell 13.4%, SK Hynix 14.7%. Whether the tools reach commercial-grade yields remains unverified.