TechCrunch, February 15th - ASML, the giant in lithography machines, has recently showcased its latest generation High NA EUV lithography machine at its headquarters in the Netherlands for the first time to the media.
Reportedly, a set of High NA EUV lithography machines is equivalent in size to a double-decker bus and weighs as much as 150 tons. Assembling it is larger than a truck and requires it to be divided into 250 individual crates for transportation.
Installation is estimated to require 250 engineering personnel and take 6 months to complete.
According to the leaks, the price of High NA EUV is as high as 350 million euros per unit, equivalent to about 2.7 billion RMB, making it a must-have weapon for the three major wafer manufacturers worldwide to achieve mass production of advanced processes below 2nm.
In December 2023, Intel took the lead in acquiring the world's first High NA EUV lithography machine, with TSMC and Samsung expected to receive their orders by as early as 2026.
As the price of High NA EUV lithography machines is twice that of current EUV lithography machines, this also means that equipment costs will increase significantly.
However, the upcoming mass production of 2nm next year can still rely on existing EUV lithography machines to complete, and costs will not increase significantly. This is also the key reason why TSMC and Samsung are not in a hurry to introduce High NA EUV lithography machines.
Last December, ASML's official social media account posted a live photo showing part of a lithography machine housed in a protective casing. The casing was adorned with a red ribbon, indicating that it was ready to be shipped from ASML's headquarters in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
"Ten years of groundbreaking science and systematic engineering deserve a bow! We are thrilled and proud to deliver our first high-numerical-aperture extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine to Intel," ASML stated.
Public records indicate that numerical aperture (NA) is a crucial metric for the optical systems of lithography machines, directly determining the actual resolution of lithography and the highest achievable process nodes.
Generally, when metal spacing shrinks to below 30nm, corresponding to process nodes beyond 5nm, the resolution of lithography machines with low numerical aperture becomes insufficient, necessitating the use of EUV double exposure or pattern shaping technology as assistance.
This not only significantly increases costs but also reduces yield rates. Therefore, a higher numerical aperture becomes necessary.
