Post by ASML

Twenty-five years ago, our prototype EUV light source produced just 1 watt (W). Now, our research teams have demonstrated a path from today's 500W to tomorrow's 1,000W. EUV lithography relies on a laser-produced plasma (LPP) source. Powerful laser pulses are fired at tiny droplets of tin travelling through a (near) vacuum, transforming the droplets into exploding balls of plasma 40 times hotter than the surface of the sun and causing them to emit an intense burst of EUV light. To create enough EUV light for making microchips, this process is repeated 60,000 times per second in our latest commercial sources. Here's why that research path to 1,000W matters to our customers: 🔬 We managed to further increase the repeat rate of our tin droplets from 60,000 to 100,000 times per second. That means we got more light out of the system, while simultaneously improving the overall energy efficiency of the system. ⚡ Higher power will directly unlock higher productivity. In 2018, hitting 250W enabled volume production at 125 wafers per hour. More EUV power means faster systems, helping customers operate more cost-efficiently. 🏭 This research milestone validates our LPP approach. A commercial 1,000W source isn't here yet, but the demonstration confirms the architecture can scale to even higher power levels in support of the roadmaps of our customers. Getting there wasn't a straight line. It took decades of incremental breakthroughs, such as re-shaping tin droplets to increase plasma efficiency, preventing laser feedback, and engineering mirrors with over 100 ultra-precise material layers. Each step unlocked the next. And that's how we keep powering technology forward with you.