TSMC and ASML are kicking off an industry-wide effort to double the size of high-NA EUV photomasks, a move expected to boost scanner productivity by around 40 percent.
TSMC and ASML are launching an industry-wide initiative to develop 6-by-12-inch masks for high-NA EUV lithography, up from the standard 6-by-6-inch format. By boosting productivity and removing stitching constraints, larger masks will lower chipmaking costs. Announced at the SPIE BACUS conference in Monterey, California, the partners aim to establish a pilot line by 2031 and have the first production-ready 12-inch high-NA systems available by 2033.
“We expect the adoption of high-NA EUV to increase progressively along the device scaling roadmap, first using current 6-inch masks and then further supported by 12-inch masks, which enable greater scanner productivity and allow the industry to meet the demand for smaller, faster and more energy-efficient chips,” says ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet. Both Intel and Samsung have voiced support for advancing 12-inch mask technology. Only the Korean chipmaker has explicitly stated that it will join the initiative announced by ASML and TSMC.
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