ASML looks to the future: considering launching a universal EUV lithography platform covering different numerical apertures

On May 23, according to Dutch media Bits&Chips, ASML consultant and former CTO Martin van den Brink recently said that the lithography machine manufacturer is considering launching a universal EUV lithography platform.

Van den Brink said at the 2024 imec ITF World Technology Forum held on the 21st and 22nd of this month:

We have proposed a long-term (perhaps ten years) roadmap: we will have a single platform that includes Low NA (0.33NA), High NA (0.55NA), and Hyper NA (expected to be above 0.7NA) EUV systems.

According to the Rayleigh criterion, a higher numerical aperture means better lithography resolution.

Van den Brink said that future Hyper NA lithography machines will simplify the production process of advanced processes and avoid the extra steps and risks brought about by double patterning through High NA lithography machines to achieve the same precision.

Multiple EUV lithography machines share a basic platform, which not only reduces development costs, but also facilitates the back-porting of technological improvements of Hyper-NA machines to lithography machines with lower numerical apertures.

According to previous reports, ASML's latest 0.33NA EUV lithography machine, the NXE:3800E, has introduced a fast stage movement system developed for High NA lithography machines.

In addition, ASML also plans to increase the wafer throughput of its DUV and EUV lithography machines from the current 200~300 wafers per hour to 400~500 wafers per hour, thereby improving the production efficiency of a single lithography machine and reducing industry costs on the other hand.

In his speech, Van den Brink also mentioned: "The current development trend of artificial intelligence shows that consumers have strong demand for a variety of applications. The factors that limit demand include energy consumption, computing power and the massive data sets required."