ASML, Zeiss say next-generation chipmaking technology may be ready in 10 years
ASML•ASML and Zeiss engineers said in a peer-reviewed paper that Hyper NA, a next-generation chipmaking tool ASML has begun developing but has not committed to producing, could be ready in about 10 years. It could print features as small as 5 nanometers.
1. Hyper NA development
ASML has begun developing Hyper NA, a potential successor to its most advanced chipmaking machine, but has not committed to producing it. Engineers from ASML and optics partner Carl Zeiss said in a peer-reviewed paper that the technology could be ready in about 10 years.
2. Smaller chip features
The paper said Hyper NA could print features as small as 5 nanometers, more than a third smaller than ASML’s current High NA EUV tool. It said smaller features remain important for chip speed and power usage, while lithography is a limiting factor.
3. Existing technology
The paper said Zeiss can already make mirrors precise enough for Hyper NA, and that the machine would be barely larger than High NA tools. ASML’s current light source could be reused, the authors said; tools beyond Hyper NA would likely require a shorter wavelength of light, which remains under academic research.
