{
  "id": 6577379,
  "title": "TSMC, Samsung, and Intel shore up support with ASML to deploy larger High-NA EUV photomasks — 6×12-inch photomask transition may take years despite unified effort",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/tsmc-samsung-and-intel-shore-up-support-with-asml-to-deploy-larger",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-10T11:20:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tom's Hardware",
    "slug": "tom-s-hardware",
    "url": "https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/semiconductors/tsmc-samsung-and-intel-shore-up-support-with-asml-to-deploy-larger-high-na-euv-photomasks-6-12-inch-photomask-transition-may-take-years-despite-unified-effort"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "ASML, Intel, Samsung, and TSMC are joining forces to transition to 6×12-inch photomasks, a move crucial for implementing High-NA Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. Larger photomasks allow for printing bigger chips in a single pass, avoiding the need to combine smaller designs, as ASML explained in a recent press release. While such collaboration is not unprecedented, it's uncommon when facing an industry-wide challenge. This situation mirrors previous transitions, such as the 450-mm wafer and EUV efforts, where chipmakers set aside their rivalry to advance the industry. High-NA EUV lithography, with a numerical aperture of 0.55, offers an 8nm single-exposure resolution, compared to 13nm for 0.33-NA EUV scanners. This enhanced resolution enables smaller, denser features to be patterned in a single exposure, reducing mask and process steps, shortening manufacturing cycle times, and potentially improving pattern fidelity and yields. Nonetheless, the transition comes with tradeoffs. High-NA EUV uses 4X/8X anamorphic optics, making the same mask expose only a 26×16.5 mm half-field, unlike conventional systems that expose a 26×33 mm full-field. This necessitates stitching or splitting large dies into multi-chiplet designs, leading to reduced throughput, additional design rules, and the risk of alignment errors causing defects and yield loss. The industry will require new 6×12-inch photomasks, which would necessitate significant changes to mask-making, handling, and lithography infrastructure. Mask-blank suppliers, mask shops, and fabs would need to adapt to the larger format, while ASML would have to modify its High-NA EUV scanners and related tools. The transition to 6×12-inch masks is an ongoing industry effort involving ASML, Intel, Samsung, and TSMC and may take years to complete.",
  "summary": "ASML, Intel, Samsung, and TSMC back development of 6×12-inch to build large processors using High-NA EUV lithography systems without stitching.",
  "key_points": [
    "TSMC, Samsung, and Intel collaborate with ASML for 6×12-inch photomask transition.",
    "High-NA EUV lithography enables 8nm single-exposure resolution for smaller, denser features.",
    "Larger masks require stitching or splitting dies, reducing throughput and increasing complexity."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}