One of the essential instruments utilized by foundries within the manufacture of cutting-edge chips is the acute ultraviolet lithography (EUV) machine. With billions of transistors inside these small elements (there are 19 billion transistors inside every A17 Professional SoC used on the iPhone 15 Professional and iPhone 15 Professional Max), the circuitry patterns etched on the silicon wafer that ultimately will get sliced into particular person dies must be ridiculously skinny. And that’s the place the EUV machine is available in.
Dutch agency ASML is the one firm that makes EUV machines. About the identical dimension as a college bus, every machine prices $150 million. ASML was anticipated to ship 60 EUV machines this yr. And immediately, per Tom’s {Hardware}, the corporate shipped the primary second-generation EUV machine generally known as the Excessive-NA EUV machine. The primary cargo is headed to Intel which can use it for its 18A (18 angstroms) 1.8nm course of node as a result of begin mass manufacturing in 2025.
In 2025, when each TSMC and Samsung Foundry are anticipated to start with 2nm mass manufacturing, Intel’s 1.8nm node will give it course of management within the trade. Intel is believed to be shelling out $300 million-$400 million for the Excessive-NA EUV machine. An ASML spokesman stated immediately, “We’re transport the primary Excessive NA system and introduced this in a social media submit immediately. It goes to Intel as deliberate and introduced earlier.”
ASML anticipated to ship 60 EUV machines this yr
As we informed you two years in the past, Excessive-NA stands for prime numerical aperture. The upper the NA quantity, the upper the decision of the sample being etched onto the silicon wafer. Whereas present EUV machines have an aperture of .33 (equal to a decision of 13nm), the Excessive NA machines have an aperture of .55 (equal to a decision of 8nm). With the next decision sample transferred to a wafer, the foundry might keep away from having to run a wafer by the EUV machine twice so as to add further options saving each money and time.
The Excessive-NA EUV machine is all about decreasing the dimensions of transistors and rising density to pack extra transistors inside a chip. The upper a chip’s transistor rely, the extra highly effective and energy-efficient it’s. With the Excessive-NA machine, options may be made 1.7x smaller with a 2.9x enhance in density.
ASML workers stand in entrance of a container containing the unassembled Excessive-NA EUV machine heading to Intel
Delivery the Excessive-NA EUV machine isn’t any simple job. It’s damaged down into 13 massive containers and 250 crates. Assembling the machine is perhaps somewhat more durable than placing collectively the bicycle you got your child for the vacations.
