ASML and TSMC want bigger masks for smaller chips

ASML, the leading manufacturer of EUV lithography systems, and chipmaker TSMC are jointly advocating for a shift to 12-inch photomasks in the industry. This transition could lower production costs and address certain limitations of high-NA EUV lithography. According to ASML, the collaboration with TSMC aims to establish a 12-inch mask pilot line by 2031, with supporting lithography systems ready for advanced node production by 2033.

Currently, high-NA EUV will initially be introduced using the existing 6-inch masks, but the shift to larger masks could increase fab productivity and remove stitching constraints. ASML's decision to use anamorphic optics for its high-NA EUV machines, which reduces the mask pattern by 4x in one axis and 8x in the other, creates a half-sized exposure field compared to previous machines.

This necessitates stitching patterns for large dies exceeding the exposure field, adding complexity and reducing productivity. By adopting 12-inch masks, the industry can restore the full exposure field, facilitating the production of denser, faster, and more energy-efficient chips. Both Intel Foundry and Samsung Electronics have voiced their support for the initiative.

Intel Foundry is focused on enabling high-NA on 6-inch masks with or without stitching in the near term, while Samsung plans to be the first chipmaker to introduce ASML's high-NA EUV technology into high-volume DRAM manufacturing by 2028. The move towards larger masks is seen as a necessary step, similar to the industry's transition from 200 mm to 300 mm wafers, and requires broad industry participation to overcome the associated design and manufacturing challenges.