NXE:3350 | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Thu, 27 Nov 2014 06:29:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png NXE:3350 | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 ASML readies equipment to produce 5nm chips https://www.kitguru.net/components/anton-shilov/asml-readies-equipment-to-produce-5nm-chips/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/anton-shilov/asml-readies-equipment-to-produce-5nm-chips/#respond Thu, 27 Nov 2014 04:46:45 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=223779 We do not know exactly when companies like Intel Corp., Samsung Electronics or Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. make their first chips using 7nm, 5nm, 3nm or 2nm process technologies. But we do know what should happen before leading semiconductor producers manufacture their new chips using ultra-thin process technologies: ASML should sell them appropriate tools to do …

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We do not know exactly when companies like Intel Corp., Samsung Electronics or Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. make their first chips using 7nm, 5nm, 3nm or 2nm process technologies. But we do know what should happen before leading semiconductor producers manufacture their new chips using ultra-thin process technologies: ASML should sell them appropriate tools to do so.

At its investor day in London earlier this week ASML outlined its roadmap till 2019 – 2020. The world’s largest producer of lithography equipment for production of chips believes that while current-generation deep ultraviolet (DUV) with multi-patterning as well as other ways of shrinking geometry of integrated circuits will work for a number of years to come, eventually makers of chips – whether they manufacture memory or logic – will have to transit to extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV). In general, the industry experts agree with ASML, so when it comes to sub-10nm fabrication processes, the chipmakers and ASML invest a lot in EUV.

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At present ASML offers NXE:3300B semi-experimental EUV scanner (which will be upgraded in 2015 – 2016 with new light source to support commercial production volumes) as well as NXE:3350B EUV scanner to makers of semiconductors. The scanners support 16nm half-pitch (HP) resolution and are expected to be used for production of chips using 10nm and 7nm process technologies. However, to support thinner process technologies new manufacturing equipment will be needed.

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To make chips using 5nm fabrication process, ASML believes that it will need to reduce the the half-pitch resolution of the generated patterns to 13nm. To do so, the company plans to upgrade the NXE:3350B and to introduce its all-new NXE:3400B EUV scanners in the second half of 2017 or sometimes in 2018. Using the new equipment, semiconductor manufacturers will be able to start learning how to make integrated circuits using 5nm manufacturing technology in 2018, more than two years before such chips will be made commercially.

In addition to development of its NXE:3350B OFP and NXE:3400B scanners ASML already envisions requirements for semiconductor manufacturing equipment that will be used around ten years from now to make chips using 3nm and 2nm process technologies.

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KitGuru Says: Despite of the fact that many predict the end for Moore’s Law, it looks like it will continue to be valid for another ten years. At least, ASML and Intel clearly think so.

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TSMC to have four EUV scanners in 2015, to use EUV tools for 10nm chips https://www.kitguru.net/components/anton-shilov/tsmc-to-have-four-euv-scanners-in-2015-to-use-euv-tools-for-10nm-chips/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/anton-shilov/tsmc-to-have-four-euv-scanners-in-2015-to-use-euv-tools-for-10nm-chips/#respond Wed, 26 Nov 2014 23:47:08 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=223727 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has ordered two additional extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography scanners from ASML Holding. The equipment will be delivered in 2015 and will complement initial two EUV scanners TSMC has today, which will be upgraded. Four scanners will let TSMC make chips using 10nm process technology and EUV lithography tech in commercial quantities. Next …

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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has ordered two additional extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography scanners from ASML Holding. The equipment will be delivered in 2015 and will complement initial two EUV scanners TSMC has today, which will be upgraded. Four scanners will let TSMC make chips using 10nm process technology and EUV lithography tech in commercial quantities.

Next year ASML will deliver two NXE:3350B EUV systems to TSMC. In addition, ASML will upgrade TSMC’s existing NXE:3300B systems with new light sources that will increase their production capacity to the levels of NXE:3350B, which will allow the world’s largest contract maker of semiconductors to start volume commercial production of 10nm chips using EUV lithography equipment sometimes in 2016 – 2017.

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At present ASML’s NXE:3300B scanners – which are installed at various semiconductor manufacturing facilities across the world – feature 80W light sources and can process about or over 500 wafers per day. Sometimes next year ASML will have 125W light sources for the NXE:3300B and the NXE:3350B systems, which will boost their productivity to 1000+ wafers per day, which may be nearly enough to start commercial usage. In 2016 the company plans to supply 250W light sources that will further increase productivity to 1500 wafers per day.

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While ASML itself has a solid roadmap for EUV equipment in place and everything depends on whether it can deliver more powerful light sources on time, other companies are only ready with EUV infrastructure acceptable for 10nm node. Improvements are required for volume production at 7nm node. Meanwhile, Intel Corp. and, apparently, some other big players, only plan to adopt EUV at 7nm.

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Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: With four EUV scanners installed, TSMC will clearly make the majority of its 10nm chips using EUV lithography, which may provide it a lot of benefits compared to other foundries, if all goes well. But what if it does not?

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