ASML Ships Second High-NA EUV Litho Machine

ASML, a leading supplier of photolithography equipment to the semiconductor industry, has recently made significant strides in the development and deployment of high-NA EUV lithography machines. The company has left it up to customers to make specific announcements regarding the recipients of these cutting-edge systems, sparking speculation and excitement within the industry.

Christophe Fouquet, who assumed the role of CEO of ASML on April 24, revealed that the first high-NA EUV system has been shipped to a customer and is currently undergoing installation. Additionally, the second system was scheduled for shipment in the same month, with installation set to commence shortly. The identity of the first customer has been unveiled as Intel, a major player in the semiconductor market.

Intel's aggressive adoption of high-NA technology is seen as a strategic move to compete with industry leaders such as TSMC and Samsung in the semiconductor foundry market. Engineers from Intel and ASML recently completed the construction of the first high-NA EUVL scanner at Intel's D1X R&D wafer fab in Hillsboro, Oregon, marking a significant milestone in the collaboration between the two companies.

The recipient of the second high-NA machine is anticipated to be a logic foundry rather than a memory manufacturer. Logic foundries, currently operating at 3nm and eyeing advancements to 2nm, have been quicker to adopt EUV lithography compared to memory manufacturers. Notably, TSMC, a technology leader in the industry, has yet to embrace high-NA EUV technology, opting for conventional EUV machines with a numerical aperture of 0.33 for cost-effectiveness.

The high-NA EUV exposure machine comes with a hefty price tag of approximately US$380 million, more than double the cost of the previous generation lower-NA EUV machines priced at around US$180 million. The industry is abuzz with speculation regarding the recipient of the second high-NA EUV lithography scanner, with contenders including Samsung, TSMC, and potentially Intel as it gears up to produce chips using high-NA EUVL in its 18A manufacturing process by 2025.

ASML reported impressive financial results for the first quarter of 2024, with net income reaching €1.2 billion and sales revenue totaling €5.3 billion. The company's quarterly net bookings amounted to €3.6 billion, with a significant portion of €656 million attributed to EUV technology. These developments underscore ASML's continued commitment to innovation and leadership in the semiconductor lithography market.