Intel announced that its R&D personnel have completed the assembly of the industry's first commercial high numerical aperture extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment (High NA EUV) at its R&D base in Hillsboro, Oregon, USA. After multiple calibration work is completed, it is expected to be officially put into use in 2027 and will be used for Intel 18A process products after Intel 14A.
This high-NA extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment is supplied by ASML and will play a key role in the next generation of processor products. Intel will also use this equipment to deploy further process technology and help advance Intel's process technology after 18A.
ASML recently announced that its High Numerical Aperture Laboratory at its headquarters in Veldhoven, the Netherlands, has printed a 10nm high-density circuit for the first time, setting a world record for EUV lithography equipment resolution and becoming the finest circuit printed by EUV lithography equipment to date. This breakthrough also verifies the innovative optical design of ASML's partner ZEISS in its High NA EUV lithography equipment.
When High NA EUV lithography equipment is combined with other process technologies from Intel's foundry services, the print size is expected to be 1.7 times smaller than existing EUV tools. Due to the reduction in 2D dimensions, density will increase by 2.9 times. Intel will use this to continue developing smaller and denser patterning technology, further extending Moore's Law.
Compared to EUV lithography equipment with a numerical aperture of 0.33, high numerical aperture EUV lithography equipment (or EUV lithography equipment with a numerical aperture of 0.55) can provide higher imaging contrast for similar wafer sizes and reduce the amount of light required for each exposure, thereby shortening the printing time per layer and increasing the productivity of the wafer fab.
Intel plans to use EUV lithography equipment with numerical apertures of 2025 and 18 in the Intel 14A product verification in 0.33 and the future Intel 0.55A mass production phase. In combination with other advanced lithography process technologies, it will jointly advance the development and manufacturing of advanced chips, thereby improving the cost and performance of its advanced process technology.
Prior to this, Intel has announced that Intel 18A process technology will be put into mass production in the second quarter of this year, and is expected to be used forThe next-generation Core Ultra laptop processor, codenamed "Lunar Lake", and will also be used to assist OEM productionProcessors designed with Arm's new architecture.
