According to a JPMorgan note cited by Semi Doped, ASML has no plans to adopt free-electron laser (FEL) technology for extreme ultraviolet lithography, despite backing from Elon Musk for that approach. Instead, ASML is continuing to refine its existing laser-produced plasma (LPP) method, aiming to boost source power from around 500W to 1,000W and nearly double the rate of tin droplet generation to 100,000 per second.
Kepler Computing, a seven-year-old San Jose startup, has emerged from stealth mode claiming a novel 3D-stacking method and proprietary material can boost memory chip density without relying on costly EUV lithography. The approach applies to both high-bandwidth memory used in AI systems and SRAM cache found in CPUs and GPUs, and can reportedly be built using existing fabrication plants rather than requiring new facilities.
ASML is developing a larger 12-inch mask format for its next-generation High-NA EUV lithography systems, letting them print chips as large as those made with current EUV tools. The company expects a pilot line by 2031 and high-volume production by 2033, with CTO Marco Pieters saying the shift could boost system productivity by 40% if the industry adopts it together.
Samsung Electronics and TSMC have committed to deploying ASML's newest high-numerical-aperture EUV lithography systems, machines that can cost up to $400 million each. Both companies join Intel in adopting a related technical change expected to increase chip output on these machines by roughly 40 percent. Samsung plans to use the tools for memory chip production by 2028, while TSMC intends to apply the technology to its most advanced chips for customers like AMD, Apple, Nvidia and Qualcomm.
TSMC has confirmed plans to bring High-NA EUV lithography, using 0.55 numerical aperture optics, into high-volume manufacturing by 2030, likely for its A10 or A11 nodes. The company plans to use standard 6x6-inch photomasks initially, followed by a pilot line for larger 6x12-inch photomasks in 2031, aiming for full production with those masks by 2033.
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