Intel announced on Monday that its first two cutting-edge lithography machines from ASML, a Dutch company that designs and manufactures semiconductor equipment, are now in production.
Early data shows these machines are more reliable than previous models, with Intel processing 30,000 silicon wafers in a single quarter using ASML’s high numerical aperture (NA) lithography technology.
Intel was the first chipmaker to receive these advanced machines last year, aiming to produce smaller and faster chips. The move represents a strategic shift for Intel, which previously lagged behind competitors in adopting extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology.
The company took seven years to fully integrate the previous generation of EUV machines, contributing to its loss of market leadership to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Early production struggles with reliability slowed its progress. However, Intel senior principal engineer Steve Carson stated that ASML’s new high NA machines are about twice as reliable as earlier EUV models.
“We’re getting wafers out at a consistent rate, and that’s a huge boon to the platform,” Carson said at a conference in San Jose, California. The new ASML machines, which print chip features using beams of light, also reduce the number of exposures required, improving efficiency.
Intel’s early tests indicate that the high NA machines can achieve in one exposure what previously took three exposures and about 40 processing steps. The reduction in steps is expected to save time and manufacturing costs.
The company plans to use the high NA machines in the development of its 18A manufacturing technology, set for mass production later this year with a new generation of PC chips. Intel has also confirmed plans to fully integrate these machines into its next-generation 14A manufacturing process but has not provided a timeline for its mass production.
