Major breakthrough in chip manufacturing? ASML's next-generation EUV can now be used for mass production, doubling costs!

According to reports, a senior executive from ASML, the global leader in lithography machines, recently stated that its next-generation chip manufacturing equipment is ready and can be supplied to chip manufacturers for mass production. This is a significant advancement for the chip industry.

This Dutch company produces the world’s only commercial extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment, which is an essential component for chip manufacturers. ASML’s data indicates that this new equipment will help chipmakers like TSMC and Intel produce more powerful and efficient chips, as it eliminates some costly and complex steps in the manufacturing process.

ASML’s Chief Technology Officer Marco Pieters said on Wednesday that the company plans to announce this data at a technology conference in San Jose on Thursday, marking an important milestone.

It is reported that ASML spent several years developing these expensive next-generation devices, while chipmakers have been trying to determine under what conditions large-scale production using these devices would be economically viable.

However, given that the current generation of EUV equipment is nearing the technological limit in manufacturing complex AI chips, the next-generation devices (known as high numerical aperture EUV tools) are crucial for the AI industry. They can improve chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and help chip manufacturers meet their AI chip development roadmaps to satisfy growing demand.

However, it should be noted that the new tools cost about $400 million, twice the price of the original EUV machines.

According to Pieters, ASML’s data shows that the downtime of high-NA EUV has been significantly reduced, with 500,000 silicon wafers the size of dinner plates produced, and the equipment capable of patterning chip circuits with sufficient precision. These three data points indicate that the equipment is ready for use by manufacturers.

“I believe we are at a critical moment now, and it’s necessary to review the number of learning cycles completed,” Pieters said, referring to the number of tests conducted by customers on these machines.

Although these machines are technically mature, companies still need two to three years of sufficient testing and development to integrate these technologies into manufacturing.

“(Chipmakers) have all the necessary knowledge to validate these tools,” he added.

Pieters also stated that the current operational rate of these devices is about 80%, with plans to reach 90% by the end of the year. He pointed out that ASML’s imaging data is sufficient to persuade customers to replace older multi-step processes with single-step high-NA processes. These devices have processed 500,000 wafers, helping the company solve many technical challenges.

(Source: Cailian Press)