Roles of major chipmakers reversed in high-NA adoption

As the maturity of first-generation EUV lithography tools grew in the second half of the previous decade, chipmakers had to start weighing the risks and benefits of adopting the new technology. Is EUV mature enough now? Is it ready for production? Around 2018, no doubt after careful consideration, both Samsung and TSMC pulled the trigger. The following year, the first products powered by an ‘EUV chip’ hit the stores.

A similar process is now underway for commissioning the next generation of EUV, called high-NA. Samsung and TSMC are waiting for the data to make an informed decision. The first high-NA system is just about fully operational now in ASML’s cleanroom in Veldhoven, the Netherlands. On this tool, chip manufacturers and Imec take turns doing experiments. Later – we don’t know when – the companies and the research institute will take delivery of their own high-NA scanner.