ASML Holding Makes Bold Promises with EUV
By Mark LaPedus, SemiMD senior editor
ASML Holding NV will hit another milestone in the next-generation lithography race: It will ship its first production extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography tool in 2012 and has made some bold promises in the process.
At present, ASML is shipping the NXE:3100, a pre-production EUV machine. The company is expected to ship the NXE:3300B, a full-blown, 13.5nm EUV production tool, to undisclosed customers this year.
The company is still working with three vendors — Cymer, Gigaphoton and Ushio — to boost the EUV power source. But the power sources are currently below spec and behind the curve.
The current EUV power sources are operating at about 10 Watts, with 20 Watts slated in the first quarter of 2012, according to ASML. The eventual goal is to devise power sources operating at 125 to 250 Watts, which will enable EUV tools to process 60 to 125 wafers an hour.
Still, ASML, which is expected to ship its first NXE:3300 in 2012, made some promises with the machine. For “early NXE:3300 adopters,” ASML will deliver an EUV tool with a “stable performance,” as well as a throughput at 69 wafers an hour, a resolution of 22nm and 18nm, and an overlay at <5nm, said James Koonmen, senior vice president of ASML and general manager of its Brion unit.
The NXE:3300 will “reach 125 wafers per hour within two years,” Koonmen said during a presentation at SEMI’s Industry Strategy Symposium at Half Moon Bay, Calif. The “NXE:3300 (is) on track for production insertion in 2013-2014.”
EUV is critical for the industry. With today’s optical lithography, leading-edge chip makers have or will move to the multi-pattering era, which is expected to boost IC manufacturing costs.
“We need EUV to continue scaling,” said Mike Splinter, chief executive of Applied Materials Inc., during a separate presentation at ISS. “In the long run, we are going to need that to make (scaling) happen.”
On Wednesday (Jan. 18), ASML is expected to announce its results. “We expect ASML to kick off the 4Q11 earnings season with generally positive commentary about the order trajectory through 2Q12,” said C.J. Muse, an analyst with Barclays Capital.
“Management had suggested previously that orders would be up sequentially in December quarter, with the only real question being the magnitude of the uptick. We currently model ASML’s December quarter orders up 24 percent quarter-over-quarter to EUR 639 million,” he said.
“Outside of this uptick – likely driven by foundry and NAND – we look for management to discuss improving business trends into 1H12 as well, with visibility improving to sustained order momentum into 2Q12. That said, the focus will clearly be on the spending outlook for tier 1 foundries, Intel, and NAND,” he said. “We also expect spending weakness from overall DRAM and tier 2 semi makers to continue, and look for ASML to confirm this general view.”
Even before 13.5nm EUV is in full production — and amid constant delays for the technology — ASML for some time has been talking about extending EUV with smaller wavelengths. More recently, the company has been making a strong case in the industry for EUV based on wavelengths ranging from 6.6nm to 6.8nm, according to a recent presentation made by ASML, which was obtained by SemiMD.
ASML moves full speed ahead on EUV (Source: Company)
Tags: Applied Materials, ASML, Barclays