Large manufacturers of semiconductor products in the person of Intel, Samsung and TSMC have approached the threshold of making decisions on the timing of the introduction of so-called lithography with ultra-high ultraviolet radiation. It is expected that in the next two years all of them will somehow master EUV lithography, which in previous periods was postponed because of the combination of technological and economic factors. Colleagues from the EE Times website analyzed the statements of the management of the Dutch holding company ASML at the quarterly reporting conference, and made a number of interesting conclusions.
Let's start with the fact that this manufacturer of lithographic equipment sold eight EUV-systems in the second quarter, and the revenue in the annual comparison increased by 8%. If this happens, then ASML expects to increase revenues by 25% this year. In total, the company has already managed to implement 27 systems for EUV lithography on the amount of more than $ 3.2 billion. Demand for such lithographic equipment is ahead of forecasts.
The ASML management explains the faster growth in demand for EUV scanners by the activity of the manufacturers of memory chips, which also need such equipment in conditions of shortage of finished products. Demand for memory is growing, and manufacturers are ready to increase capacity. In 2018, interest in EUV-systems should remain at the current level, at least.
The main news from the quarterly reporting conference ASML, perhaps, should be considered a demonstration of the ability of EUV-equipment to process 125 silicon wafers per hour. For a long time it was thought that after overcoming this boundary it would be appropriate to talk about the economic feasibility of using EUV lithography in mass production. It seems that things are going well, and ASML is not going to join the community of "prematurely mourning for Moore's law."