In an interview with Bits & Chips, ASML’s Chief Technology Officer Martin van den Brink predicted that – in the near future – semiconductor lithography may come to an end. According to the current roadmap, ASML will move to high numerical apertures after extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV). The company is now working with Imec to bring its first research-based High-NA scanner in 2023.
File photo (from: ASML)
If all goes well, ASML is expected to deliver its first development machine in 2024, with the first mass production devices using High-NA sometime in 2025. However, this final timing may change due to concerns about current supply chain uncertainty.
For this reason, current orders will be a priority. If necessary, the development of Hign-NA may be put on hold. Or as Martin van den Brink puts it – “today’s meal takes priority over tomorrow’s”.
In addition, as the next stage of lithography development, High-NA scanners are expected to be more power hungry than EUVs, with about 2 MW of power in each stage, and prohibitively expensive to manufacture and use.
Martin van den Brink concluded that if the cost of hyper-NA skyrockets similarly to Hign-NA, it will not be economically viable until the problem is overcome. is almost unfeasible.
