Similar to lithography tools, ion implanters are complex equipment in front-end semiconductor manufacturing with relatively late progress in domestic substitution. Currently, the global ion implanter market is still dominated by US manufacturers, accounting for approximately 90% of the market share, while Japanese manufacturers primarily focus on specialty process tracks.
At the 2026 China International Industry Expo (CIIE) Semiconductor Exhibition, Shanghai Kingstone Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Kingstone"), a local ion implanter manufacturer under Vital Deeptech (stock code: 600641), showcased its full series of ion implanters and comprehensive one-stop service solutions. According to financial reports from controlling shareholder Vital Deeptech, Kingstone has cumulatively served more than 14 key integrated circuit production lines, with its core models entering mass production lines at leading wafer fabs in bulk.
Image: Kingstone booth at CIIE
In an exclusive interview with EEChina reporters, Zhang Changyong, Deputy General Manager of Kingstone, stated that the company initially entered the field through domestic substitution and has now progressed to providing full-lifecycle, one-stop service solutions based on customer needs. These solutions include full-series complete machines, supply of critical components, maintenance and upgrades for existing imported equipment, and development of new processes.
80% of Shipments Target Leading Wafer Fabs， High-Current Models Enter Mass Production Phase
It is understood that Kingstone's complete equipment installations began with leading domestic wafer fabs, including top enterprises in advanced logic and memory, covering mainstream and advanced process nodes in domestic production lines. In terms of customer structure, large players such as leading wafer fabs account for approximately 80%.
Regarding adoption models, equipment enters wafer fab mass production lines directly. Zhang Changyong revealed that the integration of the first tool typically requires a rigorous verification and improvement process. In the early stages when technology was less mature, verification cycles often lasted years; currently, verification times are steadily shortening.
Today, Kingstone's low-energy high-current ion implanter series has entered a rapid growth phase characterized by "repetitive bulk orders." For the ion implanter industry, shipping more than ten units of a single series to a wafer production line with tens of thousands of wafers constitutes a significant application scale. Zhang Changyong noted that as verification passes, wafer fab orders will enter a volume expansion phase, with bulk shipment orders from multiple customers currently being advanced in an orderly manner.
Leveraging Vertical Integration to Enhance Lifespan and Reliability of Domestic Components
Currently, many domestic equipment manufacturers have achieved business expansion through horizontal mergers and acquisitions or market-driven growth. However, unlike other chamber-based tools, ion implanters feature unique beamline routes and complex physical architectures, which dictate that they cannot form core competitiveness through simple horizontal assembly.
Therefore, differing from the horizontal expansion model via M&A adopted by some industry peers, Kingstone has chosen a vertical integration development model. Supported by the vertical industrial chain of controlling shareholder Vital Deeptech and Vital Materials Group, Kingstone is gradually establishing a chain spanning materials, electronic components, parts, and system-level complete machines.
Zhang Changyong pointed out that the vertical integration model addresses supply chain security issues for certain critical components (such as electrostatic chucks and flow meters). Taking electrostatic chucks as an example, leveraging the group's accumulation in underlying materials, internal teams can rapidly research, manufacture, and verify/iterate directly on Kingstone's complete machines. This not only provides strong technical support for Kingstone but also achieves a localization rate of over 90% for its equipment supply chain.
Additionally, addressing the current reality where domestic components "achieve functionality but lag behind imported parts in lifespan and reliability," Kingstone is conducting solid engineering improvements. Since semiconductor equipment lifecycles exceed ten years, the company's current R&D and procurement focus lies in ensuring that every generic and special component—including valves, MFCs, and vacuum-related parts—possesses reasonable lifespan to enhance supply chain resilience.
Establishing Dedicated AI Department to Empower Tuning Optimization and Predictive Maintenance
At the level of equipment software and control systems, Kingstone established an independent AI department at the end of last year, applying algorithmic capabilities to optimize equipment operation and improve internal operational efficiency.
Zhang Changyong introduced that AI technology empowers ion implanters primarily in two scenarios: first, auxiliary process condition tuning; second, predictive fault warning. Kingstone attaches great importance to accelerating the convergence of AI and IC technologies, promoting AI-enabled intelligence in ion implantation equipment, and steadily improving equipment production efficiency and process capabilities.
Conclusion
Discussing goals for the next stage, Zhang Changyong stated that Kingstone will proceed in three steps: First, comprehensively establish and robustly meet domestic demand for ion implanters across various fields such as logic, memory, CIS, and silicon carbide in the shortest possible time; Second, extend into the component sector, striving for100% localization of critical components and providing maintenance and spare parts supply for customers' existing imported equipment; Finally, deepen collaboration with wafer fabs by participating in the development of new functions and products during the early process R&D stages, achieving future-oriented technological iteration.