With the continuous progress of chip technology, lithography machine, as the core equipment of chip production, is constantly adapting to new process requirements and constantly improving and upgrading. Among them, EUV lithography machine, as one of the most advanced lithography technologies, has the potential to manufacture smaller size chips. However, at present, the way forward of EUV lithography machine has encountered difficulties, and there are three challenges that need to be faced. These three directions include the continued reduction of wavelength, the further improvement of NA value, and the improvement of lithography process factors. However, these three directions have encountered bottlenecks and challenges under the current technical conditions, and no effective breakthrough has been made.
1. The wavelength continues to decrease
On the one hand, further reducing the wavelength of the light source can improve the resolution and accuracy of the lithography machine, enabling it to manufacture smaller chips. However, the current experimental results show that when the wavelength is further reduced to a smaller size, the light will be absorbed or diffracted and not easily collected and focused, resulting in a serious energy loss in lithography, which cannot meet the needs of fine processing. Therefore, the further reduction of wavelength has become a bottleneck for the technology.
2. Further improvement of NA value
On the other hand, increasing the numerical aperture (NA) value of the lithography machine can increase the ability to collect and focus light, thereby improving the resolution and accuracy of the lithography machine. However, according to ASML, once the NA value reaches 0After 55, it will be very difficult to make further improvements. Because at more than 0After 55, the refraction and scattering effects of light increase, resulting in more light loss and diffraction effects. Therefore, the improvement of NA value has also become a bottleneck of current technology.
3. Improvement of lithography process factors
In addition to the wavelength and NA value, the lithography process factor also has a significant impact on the resolution and accuracy of lithography. By improving the lithography process factor, the resolution and accuracy of lithography can be further improved, enabling it to handle more detailed chip structures. However, according to ASML, the physical limits of the lithography process factor have now been reached, so it is difficult to make a greater breakthrough under the existing conditions.
To sum up, at present, the forward path of EUV lithography machine has faced three dead ends. The further reduction of wavelength, the further increase of NA value and the improvement of lithography process factors have all reached the technical bottleneck. Therefore, there is still a great deal of uncertainty about the development prospects of EUV lithography machines, and it is impossible to determine what technology and direction will be adopted for the next generation of lithography machines.
As the most advanced lithography technology, EUV lithography has played an important role in the field of chip manufacturing. However, with the continuous advancement of chip processes and increasingly stringent requirements for size, EUV lithography machines are facing increasing challenges and limitations. Although under the current technical conditions, the three directions of the EUV lithography machine have become a dead end, this does not mean the end of lithography technology. On the contrary, it is a time of opportunity and challenge.
First of all, we can see that the bottleneck of technology does not exist forever, with the progress and breakthrough of science and technology, we have reason to believe that there will be new technologies and solutions in the future to break the current limitations. For example, in terms of further wavelength reduction, more advanced materials or technologies may emerge that allow light to be better reflected and focused. In terms of further improvement of the NA value, it is also possible to try using higher energy light sources and improving the design of the lithography machine. In addition, the improvement of lithography process factors can also be achieved by improving materials and processes. Therefore, although the current difficulties are relatively severe, we can still look forward to the breakthroughs in lithography technology in the future.
Secondly, the development and breakthrough of technology cannot be completed by just one company or one expert, but requires the cooperation and joint efforts of the entire industry chain. At present, the development of EUV lithography technology is mainly driven by leading companies such as ASML, but they also face the loss of talent and technical bottlenecks. Therefore, we need more enterprises and research institutions to participate in the research and development of lithography technology, and jointly explore and break through the boundaries of technology. It is only through cooperation and collaboration that the advancement and development of lithography technology can be better promoted.
In short, although it seems that the road ahead for EUV lithography machines is in a difficult situation, this does not mean the end of the technology. On the contrary, it is a new starting point and a challenge, a moment of opportunity and breakthrough. We need to continue to explore and develop new technologies and solutions to promote the progress and development of lithography technology, and make greater contributions to chip manufacturing and scientific and technological progress. As Van den Brink said, "When the EUV lithography machine ships na=0."After the 55 of the High-NAEUV lithography machine, it will not be possible to move forward, which will be the last generation of EUV products. Although this sentence expresses the current predicament, it is also looking forward to the emergence and breakthrough of the next generation of lithography machines.