SK Hynix Inc. has assembled the first high numerical aperture extreme ultraviolet (High NA EUV) lithography for mass production at its M16 fab in Icheon, South Korea.
High NA EUV is the next generation of semiconductor equipment that will help shrink patterning and improve density in semiconductor manufacturing. This semiconductor equipment will likely play a critical role in chip development in the future, particularly as processing nodes continue to become more advanced for next-generation microprocessors, AI, memory and other electronic components.
SK Hynix said the assembly of the ASML’s system will allow it to produce next-generation DRAM and lays the foundation to meet future demand for memories globally.
The company said it had already been expanding its EUV adoption for production since 2021 and this system will outperform existing EUV equipment as future memory semiconductors require extreme scaling and a higher density.
A sophisticated process technology to scale memory cells is critical to advance productivity and product performance. A more sophisticated pattern leads to an increase in the number of chips produced from a wafer and an improvement in power efficiency and performance.
ASML’s TWINSCAN EXE:5200B enables printing of transistors 1.7 times smaller and achievement of transistor densities 2.9 times higher compared to existing EUV systems. This also improves NA to 0.55 from 0.33.
SK Hynix said it plans to simplify the existing EUV process and accelerate the development of next-generation memory to advanced cost competitiveness and advanced product performance.
Intel Corp was the first company to complete the assembly of ASML’s first commercial High NA EUV lithography scanner about a year ago in its Hillsboro, Oregon, fab. The tool will allow Intel Foundry to improve precision and scalability in chip manufacturing. It will also help to develop features and capabilities in semiconductors for artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies.
Samsung is also reportedly installing its first High NA EUV lithography system at is Hwaseong campus in South Korea. And it is very likely TSMC will be following suit as the leading global foundry and chipmaker.
