ASML is advancing toward the massive introduction of its high numerical aperture (High-NA) EUV lithography starting next year. This technology is fundamental for the mass production of chips at nodes around 1.4 nm. Intel, Samsung, and SK hynix are listed as first customers, while TSMC postpones its large-scale adoption due to cost reasons, projecting widespread use for 2027-2028.
The Technical Leap: 0.55 Aperture and 8 nm Patterns in One Pass ⚙️
The High-NA EUV equipment increases the numerical aperture to 0.55, compared to 0.33 in current EUV systems. This change allows printing patterns of about 8 nanometers in a single exposure, which simplifies manufacturing flows for advanced logic and memory nodes. The ability to resolve finer features is key for processes after 2 nm.
And you, have you already reserved your $300 million scanner? 💸
While semiconductor giants plan their orders, the rest of us can reflect on the price of this engineering marvel. Each system costs around hundreds of millions of dollars, a figure that makes buying an apartment in Madrid seem like a minor expense. It seems that entering the 1.4 nm club requires more than good will and a couple of silicon wafers.