In the shadow of U.S. export controls, China rallies its own chip industry

The WeSemiBay Semiconductor Ecosystem Expo in Shenzhen, China. John Ruwitch/NPR

John Ruwitch/NPR

SHENZHEN, China — The tech company SiCarrier is hardly a household name. The government-backed Chinese firm makes things most people have probably never heard of, like epitaxy equipment and atomic layer deposition tools used in microchip fabrication.

Wonky stuff.

But at a chip industry expo in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen this fall, a crowd thronged its display booth, snapping pictures, doing livestreams and marveling at its wares.

“Their products are very good — they’re excellent,” said Zhang Hengming, who showed up at the SiCarrier booth waving