ASML, the leading semiconductor lithography equipment manufacturer, has committed to delivering its first High-NA EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) lithography machine by the end of this year. The advancement of EUV lithography technology has been challenging, with ASML making gradual improvements. ASML CEO Peter Wennink previously stated in an interview with Reuters that despite some supplier obstacles, the company remains on track to deliver the High-NA EUV machine as planned.
On September 8th, ASML announced that it will ship the first High-NA EUV lithography machine, named “Twinscan EXE:5000,” by the end of this year. Wennink acknowledged minor delays due to certain suppliers’ inability to increase component quantity and quality, but assured that overall, these difficulties are manageable. The High-NA EUV equipment, comparable in size to a truck, boasts a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.55 and a reduced lithography resolution of 8nm. This enables it to meet the needs of leading chip manufacturers and facilitate the production of smaller and more advanced chips in the next decade. The price of this advanced lithography machine has not been officially disclosed, but various reports estimate it to be in the range of $300-400 million per unit. NA, a critical parameter of lithography optics, directly affects the achievable resolution and the highest attainable process node.
Industry insiders believe that Intel is likely to be the first customer for the High-NA EUV lithography machine, possibly introducing it in the later stages of the 18A node. TSMC and Samsung, both planning to start production of 2nm processes in 2025, may also utilize the High-NA EUV lithography machine.
Keywords: ASML, High-NA EUV lithography machine, delivery commitment, Twinscan EXE:5000, numerical aperture, lithography resolution, chip manufacturers, Intel, TSMC, Samsung.