Intel video shows high-NA EUV lithography machine installation

Feature articles | March 7, 2024

By Peter Clarke

EUV lithography Materials & processes

Intel has released a video showing a Twinscan EXE:5200 high numerial aperture extreme ultraviolet lithography tool arriving at its fab in Hillsboro, Oregon.

The machine is believed to be equipment maker ASML’s first Twinscan EXE:5200 delivery to a commercial company. It will be used primarily for R&D.

Intel announced in July 2023 its intention to deploy the first High-NA technology to enable its rapid roadmap of manufacturing process technology introductions. Intel was the first to purchase the earlier TWINSCAN EXE:5000 system in 2018, and with the delivery of the EXE:5200, Intel claims to be on course for production manufacturing with High-NA EUV beginning in 2025.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PCtf1ONYMU

“Working closely with ASML, we will harness High-NA EUV’s high-resolution patterning as one of the ways we continue Moore’s Law and maintain our strong history of progression down to the smallest of geometries,” said Ann Kelleher, executive vice president and general manager of Technology Development at Intel, in a statement issued in January 2024 when the purchase was announced.

The TWINSCAN EXE:5000 and EXE:5200 systems offer a 0.55 numerical aperture — a precision increase from previous EUV machines with a 0.33 numerical aperture lens — to enable higher-resolution patterning for even smaller transistor features.

The price of the high-NA EUV exposure machine is said to be about US$380 million or more than twice the approximately US$180 million of the previous generation lower-NA EUV machines.

Intel – as part of its attempt to catch up with the leaders in semiconductor manufacturing – has been the first chipmaker to purchase high-NA EUV exposure machines. But it has been reported that Samsung, SK Hynix and TSMC have all placed orders.