Draft:Twinscan

TWINSCAN, ASML Lithograhy Machines From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Twinscan, stylized as TWINSCAN, is a series of photolithography machines built and manufactured by ASML. The first Twinscan lithography machine, the Twinscan AT:750T, was shipped in 2001.[1] Twinscan is the only series of lithography machines to have two wafer stages. Currently, the Twinscan EXE:5200B is the latest lithography machine built by ASML.[2] The NXE line of Twinscan lithography machines is the only production extreme ultra violet (EUV) lithography machines in existence, with the compnay having shipped 140 lithography machines as of March 2022.[3] Currently, the biggest customer of the Twinscan lithography machines is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), which owns around 50% of the total EUV lithography of the Twinscan lithography machines.[4] The NXE series of machines are used for the manufacture of sub-10 nm transistor nodes, as traditional deep ultra violet (DUV) lithography's wavelength of 248 and 193 nm does not have enough resolution for it to print the features of a 10 nm transistor.[5] The biggest operators of Twinscan machines are Intel, Samsung, and TSMC.

ASML's EUV machines have experienced significant demand in recent years due to the AI boom and crypto-boom and due to them being the only lithography machines able to produce the most advanced chips.[3]

Comparisons to other lithography machines

Twinscan photolithography machines utilize dual stage wafer tables, which differ from many of the competition designs from Cannon and Nikon. Notably, Twinscan NXE line is currently the only series of lithography machines that are able to use EUV to produce chips. EUV lithography helps to reduce energy consumption by lithography machines and the chips they produce and is why the demand for them is so high.[6]

Competitors are developing machines that seek to rival Twinscan, however. In 2023, Canon shipped the FPA-1200NZ2C, a low-cost alternative to ASML's NXE line of machines, to Texas Institute for Electronics. The FPA-1200NZ2C uses "nanoprint" technology, which uses a coating to apply the IC patterns onto silicon wafers instead of optically. The company's CEO touted that the price of its machines are going to be "one digit less than ASML's EUVs".[7]

In 2025, China has announced that they have developed an in-house EUV lithography machine, capable of rivaling ASML's. The machine is set for trials in Q3 2025 and mass production in 2026.[8] The Machines are expected to be producing Chinese domestic AI processors by 2028.[9]

Export restrictions

Due to Twinscan being the world's most advanced lithography machine, Twinscan lithography machines have faced several restrictions on its exports. These export restrictions are primarily targeted towards China and Russia and are backed by the United States and Dutch governments.[10][11] These export restrictions were meant to stop China's development of advance chips and lithography research. Currently advanced nodes past 7 nm require EUV lithography in order to be fabricated.

In September of 2024, the Dutch government issued new export restrictions on older Twinscan machines, specifically the NXT:1970i and NXT:1980i.[11]

In December of 2024, the US government announced a new series of crackdowns on the export of Twinscan machines and its associated design software to China.[12]

History

The first Twinscan machine, the AT:705T, was shipped in 2001. It was the first lithography machine to use a 2-staged wafer module. The AT:705T is a KrF DUV lithography machine capable of producing chips of up to the 130 nm node.[1]

In 2013, ASML shipped the world's first experimental EUV lithography machine, the NXE:3100.[13]

In 2024, ASML announced the next generation of EUV lithography, high NA lithography, with its EXE:5000 lithography machine.[14][15]

References

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