Intel Foundry has installed ASML’s TWINSCAN EXE:5200B High NA EUV scanner, which the company describes as the world’s most advanced EUV machine, to support production of its 14A node. The deployment marks what Intel calls the first industry transition from Low NA to High NA EUV lithography for a production node, following acceptance testing completed in collaboration with ASML at Intel Foundry. The EXE:5200B is ASML’s second generation of High NA EUV scanners, succeeding the earlier TWINSCAN EXE:5000 system that Intel initially used for its 14A trial runs.
Intel previously reported processing over 30,000 wafers in a single quarter, achieving simplified manufacturing by reducing the steps needed for a specific layer from 40 to fewer than 10, resulting in significantly faster cycle times. The company positions High NA EUV as a key lever for both throughput and process simplification on 14A. The new TWINSCAN EXE:5200B achieves an output of 175 wafers per hour in standard conditions, where Intel plans to tune it to over 200 wafers per hour. In parallel, the tool improves overlay precision so that distinct lithography layers can be aligned down to 0.7 nanometers, which is critical for maintaining pattern fidelity at Intel’s targeted geometries.
This latest installation builds on Intel’s High NA EUV experience that began in 2023 with the industry’s first commercial High NA tool at its Oregon research and development facility. Intel is currently shipping 14A PDK 0.5 to customers, who are reportedly very satisfied with the node’s development progress. According to Intel, the 14A node is achieving far better yield and performance parameters at its current stage of development than the 18A node did at a comparable point, reinforcing the company’s confidence in High NA EUV as it advances its foundry roadmap.
