According to reports, Jos Benschop, Executive Vice President of Technology at Dutch semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML, stated that the company has begun to focus on developing the next generation of cutting-edge lithography machines to serve the chip industry for the next decade.
Benshop stated that ASML and its exclusive optical partner Carl Zeiss are researching equipment that can print resolutions as fine as 5nm with a single exposure, and added that the technology will be advanced enough to meet industry demand by 2035 and beyond.
Recently, ASML has started delivering its most advanced machines, which can achieve a single exposure resolution of up to 8nm. Machines with lower precision require multiple exposures to achieve similar resolutions, which means chip production efficiency is lower and production quality is much lower.
Benschop said, "We are currently conducting design research with our partner Carl Zeiss, with the goal of increasing the numerical aperture to 0.7 or greater. However, we have not yet determined a specific date for launching the product
Numerical aperture (NA) is an indicator of the optical system's ability to collect and focus light, and is also a key factor determining the printing accuracy of circuits on wafers. The larger the numerical aperture, the shorter the wavelength of light, and the higher the printing accuracy. The numerical aperture (NA) of the ASML standard extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine is 0.33. Its latest "High NA" lithography machine has an aperture of 0.55. To create a "Hyper NA" lithography machine with an aperture of 0.7 or higher, several key systems will need to be redesigned.
ASML has delivered the first batch of high NA machines to top global chip manufacturers such as Intel and TSMC. Benschop stated that the large-scale application of these machines will take place later as the industry requires time to test and validate the functionality of these complex new systems, as well as develop the supporting materials and tools needed to make them fully operational. He added that it is expected that high numerical aperture EUV machines will meet the industry's demand until the end of this decade or even into the early 2030s.
Benshop said, "The introduction of this new tool is very similar to many of the new tools we have launched in the past few decades. It usually takes several years to truly achieve mass production (chip production). Customers need to learn how to use it, but I have no doubt that in the near future, it will be able to be put into mass production (chip production)
At present, only ASML, Nikon, and Canon provide feasible lithography machines for chip manufacturing, and ASML is the exclusive supplier of EUV lithography tools. Photolithography is a crucial step in chip manufacturing, where integrated circuits are printed and projected onto a wafer to construct the chip.
Previously, ASML pointed out that EUV technology is extremely complex, and an EUV lithography equipment requires the collaborative support of multiple interdisciplinary technologies to achieve cost-effective mass production capabilities. ASML had researched other technological paths many years ago, but ultimately abandoned them. There is currently no reliable data indicating that mature EUV systems are under development.
Benshop stated that one of ASML's core advantages is its collaborative approach with leading suppliers, rather than building all components on its own. The company adopted this strategy out of necessity in the early days when the scale was small and resources were scarce. He added that over time, this collaborative need has gradually evolved into a core trait and driving force for success for the company. Our success in the EUV field is mainly due to our collaboration with a vast network of suppliers, customers, and technology partners, "said Benshop. This has given us a great deal of strength. We are not fighting alone
Benshop stated that ASML spent up to 16 billion euros (approximately 18.55 billion US dollars) on purchasing materials and components from suppliers last year, highlighting the crucial role of its ecosystem partners. In the past decade, ASML's research and development expenditure has also increased significantly, from approximately 1.1 billion euros in 2015 to 4.3 billion euros last year.
Benshop stated that Japanese chemical and material manufacturers play a crucial role in lithography technology, and pointed out that JSR, Kyocera, Mitsui Chemicals, relief printing, TAG Heuer, DNP, and Osaka University are its ecosystem partners. Among them, JSR is the main supplier of high-quality photoresist, while TAG Heuer, relief printing, and DNP provide high-end photomasks. Kyocera provides key components, while Mitsui Chemicals produces advanced protective films (i.e. dust covers that protect photomasks).
The executive stated that close cooperation with top global chip customers such as Sony and Rapidus in Japan is also important.
As a physicist, Benshop began his career at Philips Research Lab in 1984 and joined ASML in 1997, launching the company's EUV project in the same year.
The development of EUV technology was based on the pioneering efforts of researchers in the mid-1980s, including globally renowned scientists such as Hiroo Kinoshita from Japan, Fred Bijkerk from the Netherlands, and a team from Bell Laboratories in the United States. ASML did not deliver its first demonstration machine until 2006.
The actual difficulties far exceeded expectations, but we never gave up, "Benschop said of ASML's efforts to commercialize the technology.
Ultimately, breakthroughs in optics and light sources, as well as advancements in vacuum technology and production efficiency, enabled the company's EUV lithography machine to achieve mass production in 2019, thereby assisting companies such as TSMC and Samsung in achieving cutting-edge chip manufacturing. This week, Benshop attended the International Photopolymer Technology Conference held in Japan on June 25th and was awarded the "Outstanding Achievement Award" for his contributions in the field of photopolymer science and technology.
