Intel Foundry and ASML (a Dutch semiconductor equipment manufacturer) have announced a significant milestone in the commercialization of High Numerical Aperture Extreme Ultraviolet lithography, with more than one million wafers processed to date using the technology.

The companies made the announcement this week at the SPIE Photomask Technology + Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography conference in Monterey, California, where they also outlined the steps being taken to prepare the broader semiconductor industry for wider adoption of the next-generation lithography platform.

High-NA EUV Reaches Volume Manufacturing Threshold

The one million wafer figure spans early tool certification and testing, research and development efforts, and volume production on select layers for Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, code-named Panther Lake.

Intel Foundry confirmed that overlay, throughput, and availability of the High-NA systems are meeting the company's expectations, a signal that the technology has cleared the reliability bar required for sustained high-volume manufacturing.

Products manufactured on Intel 18A using High-NA EUV for select layers are delivering performance that meets or exceeds comparable layers patterned using ASML's NXE platform, which operates at a numerical aperture of 0.33.

That comparison is significant because the NXE platform has served as the workhorse of leading-edge chip production for several years, and demonstrating parity or better performance positions High-NA EUV as a credible successor for the industry's most demanding process nodes.

Intel Foundry installed the first commercial EXE system in 2024 and has since qualified the latest generation of tools. The company is described by ASML as having shipped the first high-volume logic product manufactured with the technology, a distinction that places Intel Foundry ahead of other chipmakers in the transition to High-NA production.

Current Mask Format Keeps the Technology Accessible Now

One of the practical challenges facing chipmakers looking to adopt High-NA EUV has been the question of mask format compatibility. The new technology was designed with a larger 6x12-inch mask in mind, but that format does not yet have the full ecosystem of supporting tools, standards, and infrastructure in place. To bridge that gap, Intel Foundry has developed solutions that allow customers to use High-NA EUV with the industry's existing 6-inch mask format.

Customers have two options under the current approach. They can floor-plan their designs to fit within the 6-inch mask, or they can take advantage of Intel Foundry's stitching capabilities and process design kit solutions.

Reticle stitching is a technique that enables designers to use High-NA EUV with today's standard masks by effectively joining adjacent exposures to cover a larger area than a single High-NA field would normally allow.

At the SPIE conference, ASML's Jan van Schoot presented on scanner and mask requirements to support half-field stitching, followed by Intel Foundry's Kimberly Pierce, who presented on High-NA EUV stitching for manufacturing.

The back-to-back presentations reflected the degree of coordination between the two companies on making stitching a practical production tool rather than a laboratory exercise.

Industry Alignment Around the Future 6x12-Inch Mask Format

While stitching with 6-inch masks addresses near-term needs, both companies are simultaneously working toward the larger mask format that will be required to fully exploit High-NA EUV's capabilities at future process nodes.

Intel Foundry has been involved in the large mask format initiative for more than three years, working alongside ASML, mask makers, automation suppliers, EDA partners, materials providers, and semiconductor manufacturers.

The initiative is focused on advancing the standards, infrastructure, and technology needed to support the transition to 6x12-inch masks. Naga Chandrasekaran, Intel Executive Vice President and Co-General Manager of Intel Foundry, framed the company's current focus as a two-track effort.

In his words, Intel Foundry is concentrated on near-term enablement of High-NA on 6-inch masks with or without stitching, while simultaneously preparing for the transition to 6x12-inch masks.

Chandrasekaran also pointed to the demands of artificial intelligence chip design as a driver for the work. He noted that companies building increasingly complex AI products need manufacturing innovations that are production-ready and easy to use, framing the accessibility of High-NA EUV on existing mask formats as directly relevant to that customer base.

ASML Acknowledges Intel Foundry's Pioneering Role

ASML's president and chief executive Christophe Fouquet used the occasion to recognize Intel Foundry's position in the High-NA EUV commercialization effort. Fouquet cited the installation of the first commercial EXE system, the qualification of the latest tool generation, and the shipment of the first high-volume logic product made with High-NA as markers of Intel Foundry's leading role. He also credited the company for its innovations in delivering value with 6-inch masks and for its long-standing support of the 6x12-inch mask evolution.

ASML is headquartered in Veldhoven, the Netherlands, and employs more than 44,000 people globally. The company supplies chipmakers with the hardware, software, and services used to mass-produce integrated circuits.

Its systems are central to the production of advanced semiconductors across the industry, and the progression of High-NA EUV into volume manufacturing represents a commercially critical step for ASML's own product roadmap.

The SPIE Photomask Technology + Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography conference, where the announcements were made, is held in Monterey, California. The presentations from both companies on September 8 focused specifically on the stitching techniques that are enabling the transition to High-NA EUV within the constraints of the existing mask infrastructure.

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