American and Japanese companies controlled the market for advanced microscopes. Now, China is offering an alternative. China has officially launched the mass-market production of its own high-performance 200-kilovolt transmission electron microscope.

Reports suggest that Hefei-based manufacturer CIQTEK unveiled the microscope at the 2026 National Conference on Electron Microscopy in Nanjing. The TEM-F200 delivers advanced imaging capabilities with a point resolution of 0.25 nanometers. It also has a 0.1-nanometer resolution limit, allowing researchers to capture structural details at the atomic level.

Scientists and engineers use electron microscopes to analyze molecular structures, study biological viruses, and inspect microscopic defects in semiconductor microchips.

For a long time, global research labs and semiconductor foundries depended almost entirely on a tiny cartel of American and Japanese instrument giants. China bought them by the thousands. Without them, domestic chipmakers couldn’t inspect microscopic circuit defects, and biopharma firms couldn’t map molecular structures.

The TEM-F200 could eventually help China take charge. An electron microscope is an advanced imaging tool that uses a focused beam of electrons, rather than light, to illuminate and magnify extremely small specimens.

At an accelerating voltage of 200kV, the microscope delivers optimal performance, capturing ultra-fine atomic detail while preserving sensitive specimens.

According to the South China Morning Post, CIQTEK Chairman He Yu confirmed that the microscope has moved beyond R&D into full factory “mass production and delivery”. The new device is already capable of supporting defect analysis for next-generation semiconductors and advanced materials.

The timing is important. Beijing has deliberately accelerated efforts to address supply-chain issues in advanced scientific tools and semiconductor manufacturing.

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