ASML and Intel said that the latter has achieved significant success with ASML’s latest High-NA lithography system by turning on the light source and making sure that the light flux hits the substrate. This indicates that the light source and mirrors are aligned correctly, which is a critical step in the growth process. «First light» indicates that one of the main components of the Twinscan EXE:5000 system is working, although not yet at peak performance.
Intel is currently assembling its first Twinscan EXE:5000 lithography machine at its plant near Hillsboro, Oregon. The machine will be used primarily for process development when it is assembled in a few months, transmits Tom’s Hardware.
ASML’s specialists are still calibrating the High-NA tool in the Netherlands, so the machine has yet to print the first test samples. During a recent test, the Veldhoven machine successfully demonstrated its capabilities on a silicon wafer prepared with photoresistors, indicating that it is ready to print printed circuits. This achievement, referred to as «First Light on Wafer», marks a significant step forward in the field of high-absorption UV lithography.
Over the next few years, leading chipmakers including Intel, Samsung, and TSMC are expected to adopt high-resolution UV lithography. Intel has already expressed its intention to use this system for the next generation of chips based on Intel 14A nodes.
The light source is one of the most complex parts of any extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography tool. Neither ASML nor Intel has disclosed the maximum power of the Twinscan EXE light source.