刻蚀机和光刻机的区别：光刻机把图案印上去，然后刻蚀机根据印上去的图案刻蚀掉有图案（或者没有图案）的部分，留下剩余的部分。刻蚀相对光刻要容易。如果把在硅晶体上的施工比成木匠活的话，光刻机的作用相当于木匠在木料上用墨斗划线，刻蚀机的作用相当于木匠在木料上用锯子、凿子、斧子、刨子等施工。蚀刻机和光刻机性质一样，但精度要求是天壤之别。木匠做细活，一般精确到毫米就行。做芯片用的刻蚀机和光刻机，要精确到纳米。
The difference between an etching machine and a photolithography machine: the photolithography machine prints the pattern, and then the etching machine etches the patterned (or non patterned) part according to the printed pattern, leaving the remaining part. Etching is easier than photolithography. If the construction on the silicon crystal is compared with that of a carpenter, the function of the photolithography machine is equivalent to that of a carpenter marking with an ink bucket on the wood, and the function of the etching machine is equivalent to that of a carpenter using a saw, chisel, ax, plane, etc. on the wood. The nature of the etching machine is the same as that of the photolithography machine, but the accuracy requirements are vastly different. Carpenters usually do fine work to the nearest millimeter. The etching machine and lithography machine used for making chips should be accurate to nanometer.