Imec has received the ASML EXE:5200 High NA EUV lithography system, described as the most advanced lithography tool available today. The installation strengthens imec’s role as a launchpad into the ångström era and gives its global partner ecosystem early access to the next generation of chip-scaling technologies.
Integrated with a broad suite of patterning and metrology tools and materials, the High NA EUV system is intended to help imec and its partners unlock the performance needed for sub-2 nm logic and high-density memory technologies. Those capabilities are positioned to support the rapid growth of advanced Artificial Intelligence and high-performance computing.
Luc Van den hove said the past two years have marked an important chapter for High NA (0.55NA) EUV lithography, with imec and ASML working with the ecosystem in their joint High NA EUV Lithography Lab in Veldhoven (The Netherlands) to pioneer the technology. With the installation of the EXE:5200 High NA EUV lithography system into imec’s 300 mm cleanroom in Leuven (Belgium), the focus is on bringing these High NA EUV patterning technologies to an industry-relevant scale and developing next-generation High NA EUV patterning use cases.
The system’s resolution, overlay performance, throughput, and wafer stocker are expected to improve process stability and throughput for partner development efforts. Imec positions High NA EUV as a cornerstone capability for the ångström era and says the new installation will give partners early and comprehensive access to the technology as they accelerate sub-2 nm chip development.
