[News] ASML Expands High-NA EUV Push with TSMC, Samsung and Intel; 12-inch Photomask Pilot Line Set for 2031

While TSMC has yet to deploy High-NA EUV for advanced-node commercialization, the foundry giant today laid out a clear roadmap for the technology, targeting high-volume manufacturing starting in 2030, according to its press release.

Notably, the move comes as ASML also expands its collaboration with TSMC, Samsung and Intel to accelerate the transition to 12-inch photomasks. Under the roadmap, the partners aim to establish a 12-inch mask pilot line by 2031, paving the way for 12-inch High-NA lithography systems to enter advanced-node production by 2033, TSMC said.

TSMC expects the number of layers requiring High-NA EUV to increase as nodes advance, driven largely by the increasingly complex transistor architectures needed for AI applications. While High-NA EUV will initially enter production using existing 6-inch masks, TSMC said moving to 12-inch masks would boost fab productivity, lower chipmaking costs, and eliminate stitching constraints.

The larger masks would ultimately allow advanced chipmakers to fully capitalize on High-NA EUV, making future generations of leading-edge chips more cost-effective.

For now, Intel remains the leading foundry to deploy High-NA EUV in high-volume manufacturing, starting from 18A. According to ASML’s latest press release, Intel Foundry has processed more than one million wafers using High-NA EUV across tool certification and testing, R&D, and volume production on select layers for a subset of its Core Ultra Series 3 processors, code-named Panther Lake.

According to ASML, Intel Foundry has been one of the key leaders of the industry’s adoption of High-NA, from installing the first commercial EXE system in 2024, to qualifying the latest generation of tools, to shipping the first high-volume logic product manufactured with High NA. Thus, the lithography giant notes that ASML recognizes Intel Foundry’s pioneering role in High NA and its innovations to deliver value today with 6-inch masks, as well as its long-time support of the 6×12-inch mask evolution.

Read more

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(Photo credit: ASML)