Intel and ASML heighten their union to push high numerical aperture technology into manufacturing over the next several years
Intel disclosed last July during the company’s Accelerated event that it intends to deliver the first High-NA technology to promote its plans of transistor innovations. Intel has continued to show interest in High-NA technology when the company was the first to purchase the previous TWINSCAN EXE:5000 system in 2018. With the new purchase from partnering company ASML, Intel continues the drive forth the company’s High-NA EUV manufacturing commencing in 2025. The EXE medium by ASML is a forwarding phase in EUV technology and contains a unique optics design and incredibly quicker reticle and wafer stages. The TWINSCAN EXE:5000 and EXE:5200 systems present a 0.55 numerical aperture — a precision boost from previous EUV machines with a 0.33 numerical aperture lens — to allow higher-resolution patterning for increasingly shorter transistor elements. The numerical aperture of the system, merged with the wavelength utilized, defines the most diminutive printable attribute. — Martin van den Brink, ASML President and Chief Technical Officer EUV 0.55 NA has been developed to enable numerous future nodes beginning in 2025 as the industry’s initial deployment, followed by memory technologies at similar viscosity. At the 2021 Investor Day, ASML communicated its EUV path and revealed that High-NA technology is anticipated to start supporting production manufacturing starting in 2025. Today’s statement is uniform with this plan from the two companies. — Dr. Ann Kelleher, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Technology Development, Intel Corporation Source: ASML
