ASML and TSMC Push for 12-Inch Masks to Solve High-NA EUV Bottlenecks

ASML and TSMC have launched a joint effort to transition the semiconductor industry toward 12-inch photomasks, as The Register first reported. The move is designed to overcome specific limitations inherent in high-NA extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography and increase overall fab productivity.

The shift is driven by the anamorphic optical design ASML utilized for its first generation of high-NA EUV systems. To allow the continued use of 6-inch masks, ASML implemented optics that reduce images by 4x in one axis and 8x in the other. While this avoided immediate hardware overhauls, it resulted in an exposure field half the size of previous machines. Consequently, large dies that exceed this field must be created using two separate patterns that are stitched together, a process that increases complexity and lowers productivity.

The companies aim to launch a 12-inch mask pilot line by 2031, with the goal of having supporting lithography systems ready for advanced node production by 2033. ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet stated that while high-NA EUV will initially use 6-inch masks, the 12-inch format is necessary to meet demands for faster, more energy-efficient chips.

TSMC has not yet utilized high-NA EUV, including for its 2nm process, but plans to deploy the technology in high-volume manufacturing for advanced nodes starting in 2030. Other industry leaders have signaled their support: Intel Foundry EVP Naga Chandrasekaran noted a focus on transitioning to 6x12-inch masks, and Samsung Electronics CEO Young Hyun Jun stated the company plans to be the first to use high-NA EUV in high-volume DRAM manufacturing by 2028.

Andrew Buss, a senior research director at IDC, told The Register that while chiplet designs and reticle stitching can mitigate current challenges, the transition to 12-inch masks is a necessary evolution similar to the industry's shift from 200mm to 300mm wafers.