ASML eyes common EUV platform and massive throughput increases

ASML CTO emeritus Martin van den Brink has shared a “vision” of a common EUV platform, which could include a 0.75-NA ‘hyper-NA’ tool. Additionally, the litho firm aims to raise the productivity of both DUV and EUV tools to 400-500 wafers per hour, up from roughly 200-300 wafers per hour. “This is our major weapon against cost increases,” Van den Brink said at the Imec Technology Forum (ITF) in Antwerp, addressing concerns voiced by previous speakers.

The common EUV platform is tied to the development of the hyper-NA tool since standardization and the ability to introduce hyper-NA innovations into previous EUV generations help recoup the investments needed to develop the hyper-NA tool. “We’re proposing a long-term roadmap where – let’s say ten years from now – we’ll have a single platform of low-NA, high-NA and hyper-NA EUV systems,” said van den Brink. The decision to go ahead with hyper-NA has not been made, an ASML spokesperson told Bits&Chips.