The most expensive unboxing ever? Intel shares High-NA lithography machine installation video

ASML Holding NV is showing off its latest chipmaking machine, a 350 million euro ($380 million) piece of equipment that weighs as much as two Airbus A320 aircraft.

On Friday, media toured the system, known as "high numerical aperture" extreme ultraviolet. Intel has placed an order for the machine and will ship the first machine to a factory in Oregon in late December. The company plans to start making chips with it by the end of 2025.

The machine can print lines on semiconductors 8 nanometers thick, which is 1.7 times smaller than the previous generation. The thinner the lines, the more transistors that can fit on the chip. The more transistors installed on a chip, the higher the processing speed and memory. That's why the system is critical for artificial intelligence, which is known for the intensity of processing it requires, ASML executives said.

Artificial intelligence will require "a lot of computing power and data storage. I don't think any of this would happen without ASML, without our technology," Peter Wennink, the Dutch company's chief executive, told Bloomberg last month. “This is going to be a big driver for our business.”

ASML is the only company that makes the equipment needed to make the most complex semiconductors, and demand for its products is a bellwether for the health of the industry. The company received a record number of orders for top-tier extreme ultraviolet lithography machines (EUV) last quarter, a sign of optimism about the technology from its top customers such as Intel, Samsung Electronics and TSMC.

Installation of the first 150,000 kilogram (331,000 pound) system required 250 crates, 250 engineers and six months to complete, ASML spokesperson Monique Mols said at a news conference during a visit to the company's headquarters in Veldhoven.

The rise of generative artificial intelligence over the past year, driven by OpenAI's launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, has raised expectations for semiconductor companies across the board. ASML has been selling so-called low numerical aperture EUV machines since 2018, with a price tag of €170 million.

Intel announced in early January that it had received ASML's first-generation Twinscan EXE:5000 high numerical aperture EUV lithography scanner. The two companies will soon begin the assembly process of the machines, and then Intel will begin its high-NA learning curve with the aim of bringing the technology into mass production through its post-18A node.

ASML later said it had sent its pilot high numerical aperture EUV scanner to Intel. The Twinscan EXE:5000 extreme ultraviolet (EUV) scanner is AMSL's first high numerical aperture scanner, and Intel has been eagerly awaiting it and first ordered the machine in 2018. Intel will use this new machine to experiment with high numerical aperture EUV before deploying its commercial-grade Twinscan EXE:5200 tool for high-volume manufacturing (HVM) sometime in 2025. This announcement represents a major industry milestone that will have an impact not only on Intel, but ultimately on other leading companies as well.

"We are shipping our first high numerical aperture system and announced it in a social media post today," an ASML spokesperson said. "It is going to Intel as planned and announced earlier."

ASML Twinscan EXE High-NA 扫描仪将从荷兰 Veldhoven 一路运送到位于俄勒冈州希尔斯伯勒附近的英特尔工厂，该工具被英特尔首席执行官帕特·基辛格 (Pat Gelsinger) 戏称为安·凯莱赫 (Ann Kelleher) 博士的圣诞礼物，将在未来几个月内安装。这是一个相当庞大的设备——事实上，它太大了，仅仅运输它就需要 13 个卡车大小的集装箱和 250 个板条箱。组装完成后，这台机器有 3 层楼高，这需要英特尔建造一座新的（更高的）晶圆厂扩建来容纳它。据估计，每台高数值孔径 EUV 扫描仪的价格都很高，可能在 3 亿至 4 亿美元之间。

采用 0.55 NA 镜头的高数值孔径 (High-NA) EUV 光刻工具能够实现 8 纳米分辨率，与当前具有 13 纳米分辨率的 EUV 工具相比，这是一个显著的改进。这些下一代高数值孔径 EUV 扫描仪预计对于使用 3nm 以上工艺技术的芯片生产非常重要，该行业预计将在 2025 年至 2026 年采用这种技术，因为它们将允许晶圆厂避免使用 EUV 双图案化，从而大大降低复杂性同时有可能提高产量并降低成本。

但 ASML 的 Twinscan EXE 光刻工具的 NA 为 0.55，与该公司常规的 Twinscan NXE 光刻机的 NA 为 0.33 有很大不同。热心的读者会从我们之前的报告中记得，高数值孔径扫描仪将比当代的 EUV 扫描仪大得多，这将需要新的晶圆厂结构。但到目前为止，这些并不是唯一的区别。

也许高数值孔径扫描仪和普通 EUV 扫描仪之间最大的变化是高数值孔径扫描仪的掩模版尺寸减半，这将要求芯片制造商重新思考他们设计和生产芯片的方式——尤其是在高端 GPU 和人工智能加速器出现的时候。正在突破标线尺寸的极限。此外，由于高数值孔径扫描仪将支持更高的分辨率和不同的掩模版尺寸，因此它们将需要新的光刻胶、计量、薄膜材料、掩模和检查工具，仅举一些变更。简而言之，高数值孔径工具需要对其基础设施进行大量投资。

尽管半导体生产基础设施是由整个行业共同开发的，但将其应用于现实世界生产的最佳方式是根据实际工艺技术和工艺配方进行定制。这就是为什么尽早开始使用试点扫描仪以准备使用生产机器的 HVM 如此重要的原因。

英特尔早在 2018 年就成为第一家订购 ASML 试点 Twinscan EXE:5000 扫描仪的公司。它也是第一家在 2022 年订购 ASML 商业级 Twinscan EXE:5200 光刻工具的公司。该公司计划于 2024 年开始18A 节点（18 埃，1.8nm）的开发工作，然后大概在 2025 年至 2026 年为 18A 后节点采用高数值孔径工具。

通过比竞争对手更早获得高数值孔径工具，英特尔不仅能够确保其工具产生预期的结果，而且有机会在高数值孔径制造方面为行业制定标准。对于英特尔来说，这可能意味着比其竞争对手三星代工厂和台积电获得显着优势。

ASML 于 2022 年宣布，将在 2027 年至 2028 年期间每年生产 20 台高数值孔径 EUV 光刻工具。同时，该公司今年早些时候透露，其高数值孔径积压订单中的机器数量达到两位数，这表明其合作伙伴将在未来几年采用这些扫描仪。领先的将是英特尔。

ASML正抓紧研制其下一代高数值孔径极紫外光（high-NA EUV）光刻机，在发布最新财报期间，AMSL透露，其存量EUV客户均订购了新一代装置。具体来说，在Intel和台积电之后，三星、 SK海力士 、美光等也下单高high-NA EUV光刻机了。

尽管目前包括台积电、英特尔、SK海力士、美光等国际半导体大厂都陆续下修资本支出，然而对于光刻机的钱还是不能省。

像是台积电之前在2022年技术论坛时，研发资深副总经理米玉杰就表示，台积电将于2024年引进高数值孔径极紫外光（high-NA EUV）光刻机，以协助客户推动创新；英特尔则在更早之前也宣称率先取得设备，预计2025年量产。

先前根据韩国媒体报导，三星集团将要下订10台的高阶制程需要用的ASML的极紫外光设备（EUV），预备未来在记忆体、晶圆代工产能可以扩大。毕竟景气不好是一时的，未来的半导体产业依然还是一场装备战。

而高NA EUV光刻机允许加工更精密的半导体芯片，生产效率也更高，它也是2nm及更先进制程的必要条件。

根据韩国装置商透露，现款EUV光刻机的订货价是2000~3000亿韩元（约合49~74亿元台币），而高NA EUV光刻机的报价翻倍到了5000亿韩元（约合122.5亿元台币）。

据了解，在三季度财报中，ASML完成58亿欧元的净销售额，毛利率51.8%、净利润17亿欧元，公司预计四季度净销售额在61~66亿欧元之间。

CEO Peter Wennink表示，其三季度预订产品的销售额达到创纪录的89亿欧元，其中EUV装置就有38亿欧元。

首先看台积电方面，市场传言他们可能最快等到2030年才会使用“High-NA EUV”，不过似乎还没定案；在一月初，ASML现任商务长、下一任执行长兼总裁富凯（Christophe Fouquet）来台拜访台积电，双方预计商讨下世代机台相关规划。

据知名科技网站“Tom’s Hardware”报导，英特尔已收到全球首台“High-NA EUV”，并将以此发展18A后的节点（1.8纳米制程）。

报导说，台积电似乎不急着在短时间内导入“High-NA EUV”，SemiAnalysis分析认为，使用该系统代表要投入更多成本，可能是台积电的主要考量之一。

报导说，英特尔思考的是不同的事，希望透过高数值孔径EUV，领先台积电及三星，以确保战略利益。台积电如果选择晚英特尔4至5年才使用“High-NA EUV”，届时如何保持技术领先，受到市场关注。

来到三星方面，ASML 韩国公司总裁 Lee Woo-kyung 在参加 1 月最后一天在首尔江南区首尔帕纳斯大洲际酒店举行的 SEMICON 韩国 2024 行业领导晚宴之前透露，“我们期待 2027 年带来三星电子和 ASML 的合资企业新研发中心的高数值孔径 (NA) 极紫外 (EUV) 设备。”

This new semiconductor research center is the result of the semiconductor alliance formed during South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol's state visit to the Netherlands last year. Samsung Electronics and Dutch equipment company ASML jointly invested 1 trillion won to establish the center in South Korea. The facility will be a place for ASML and Samsung Electronics engineers to collaborate on advanced semiconductor R&D using EUV equipment.

The center, built in front of ASML's new campus in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, will be equipped with advanced high numerical aperture EUV lithography equipment capable of implementing sub-2nm processes.

In response to a question about the progress of the construction of the R&D center built in cooperation with Samsung Electronics, Lee said: "We have acquired a new site near ASML Korea's Hwaseong New Park and will start construction next year. We plan to introduce [high-tech] upon completion Numerical aperture] equipment, we expect it to be completed by 2027 at the latest.” This is the first time ASML Korea has revealed the location of the upcoming R&D center and its plan to introduce High NA EUV equipment.

President Lee further explained: "The R&D center was built to introduce High NA EUV equipment, and the cost of the required buildings and equipment is estimated to be 1.5 trillion won. We purchased a site that is twice the size of the original planned construction area, and recently solved the problem Power supply problem.”

High NA EUV equipment enables sub-2nm processes, leading to intense competition among companies such as Samsung Electronics, Intel and TSMC to secure initial throughput of the equipment for advanced semiconductor production. According to foreign media reports, Intel took the lead in receiving this device at the end of last year. It is understood that Samsung Electronics has used this equipment since the 1nm process.

Samsung Electronics will begin mass production of 3nm products in June 2022. It is the first in the world to adopt the Gate-All-Around (GAA) structure, and plans to produce 2nm process chips by 2025 and 1.4nm process chips by 2027.

Lee also mentioned the South Korea-Netherlands Advanced Semiconductor Academy Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding signed last year, saying: "In February this year, our country's semiconductor talents will go to the Netherlands for training."

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