ASML's Plan to Launch Hyper-NA EUV Lithography Machine in 2030

TapTechNews June 14th news, the global R & D institution imec stated that ASML plans to launch the Hyper-NA EUV lithography machine in 2030, which is still in the 'early stage' of development.

The former president of ASML, Martin van den Brink, said in May this year at the ITF World event held in Antwerp, Belgium and organized by imec: 'In the long term, we need to improve the lithography system, so Hyper-NA must be upgraded. At the same time, we must increase the productivity of all systems to 400 to 500 wafers per hour.

High-NA raises the numerical aperture (NA) from 0.33NA of the early EUV tools to 0.55NA. And according to the picture shown by vanden Brink at the imec event , the company will provide Hyper-NA around 2030, reaching 0.75NA.

Kurt Ronse, the senior pattern design project director of imec, said that this is the first time that ASML has added Hyper-NA EUV to its roadmap, and he has been cooperating with ASML in developing lithography technology for more than 30 years. TapTechNews attaches relevant pictures as follows:

Ronse said that at this stage, there are many challenges to break through 0.55NA, and one of the problems is light polarization.

Ronse said: 'Once the NA exceeds 0.55, since the polarization direction will basically cancel the light, it will destroy the contrast.'

The solution is one to add a polarizer in the lithography equipment, and this will bring new problems. The polarizer will block the light, reduce energy efficiency, and increase production costs.

Another challenge of Hyper-NA is resistance.

Ronse said: 'In the case of 0.55NA, we must reduce the resistance. With Hyper-NA, the situation will be even worse. This will bring more challenges to the etching selectivity.'