ASML and Leading Chipmakers Agree to Transition to 12-Inch Photomasks

ASML and major chipmakers TSMC, Samsung Electronics, and Intel have launched a coordinated industry push to transition from 6-inch to 12-inch photomasks. This shift aims to increase productivity and lower costs for high-numerical-aperture (high-NA) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, a technology essential for producing smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient chips for AI applications. The group intends to establish a 12-inch mask pilot line by 2031, with the supporting lithography systems ready for advanced node production by 2033.

High-NA EUV machines, which can cost up to 400 million dollars each, use larger mirrors and improved optics to focus light more precisely. While the industry will initially use current 6-inch masks, ASML's anamorphic optical design creates an exposure field half the size of previous machines. This requires large dies to be stitched together, which adds complexity. Moving to 12-inch masks would remove these stitching constraints and could increase throughput from high-NA machines by 40 percent.

Implementation timelines vary by company. Samsung plans to be the first to introduce high-NA EUV technology into high-volume DRAM manufacturing by 2028. TSMC intends to deploy the technology for high-volume manufacturing of advanced nodes beginning in 2030. Intel Foundry has already taken delivery of high-NA machines and has been contributing to the larger mask push for over three years.

Outlets with a center lean focused on the technical specifications of the optical design and the specific engineering challenges of reticle stitching. In contrast, a center-left outlet framed the event as a strategic victory for ASML in securing commitments from its top customers amidst surging AI demand.