Japan bypasses EUV lithography machines to manufacture 2nm chips, and ASML faces new challenges.
The use of lithography chips is common sense, and without lithography technology, the chip pattern cannot be exposed to the surface of the wafer, let alone the subsequent engraving, packaging and other steps. However, lithography chips also have great drawbacks, high cost, high energy consumption, and the most advanced EUV lithography machine is not something that can be bought with money.
Countries are exploring new paths, Japan has found a way to circumvent EUV lithography technology by making 2-nanometer chips, and ASML did not expect the sanctions to come so quickly.
The current state of EUV lithography.
The Dutch company ASML is highly sought after because it is the only manufacturer capable of producing EUV lithography machines. EUV lithography technology is an important tool for manufacturing high-end chips and is destined to have a very high position in the industry. With multilayer technology, EUV lithography can be done in the same pass, which allows different layers of the chip to be done in the same pass.
Compared to the traditional multi-layer process, this improves manufacturing efficiency and reduces costs. In addition, the short wavelength of EUV lithography technology allows for higher resolution and smaller linewidths. This is important for manufacturing smaller, denser wafer components, which can improve wafer integration and performance.
However, the disadvantages of EUV lithography technology are also obvious: the cost is high, and a EUV lithography machine is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, but there is still a price to pay. High energy consumption, EUV lithography machines consume a lot of energy every day. TSMC has more than half of the world's EUV lithography machines, and when capacity utilization drops, several of them have to be shut down to save energy.
It is also very difficult to manufacture an EUV lithography machine, and ASML has very limited production capacity in a year. Due to these shortcomings, ASML's EUV lithography machines can only be purchased by a small number of customers. Countries are exploring new avenues for wafer fabrication, trying to find more solutions beyond lithography, and Japan's Canon has managed to do just that.
Nano printing solutions from Canon Japan.
Canon is an old lithography machine manufacturer, and its reputation is greater than that of ASML, and only ASML has integrated the resources of the global industrial chain in the West to support the manufacture of EUV lithography machines, and its strength position has been greatly improved, and there is nothing to see from Canon.
Canon did not intend to give up on the competition, and once it could not compete with ASML in the traditional lithography route, it took a different path, so Canon launched a nanoimprint solution. It can be seen from Canon's introduction that the scheme has been continuously improved and upgraded, and it has been possible to manufacture 5nm chips and more advanced 2nm chips.
Production and sales of the program's equipment FPA-1200NZ2C type have begun. The FPA-1200NZ2C device takes the road of nanoimprint.
Nanoimprint technology is also well known, which can perform nanoscale structural processing of materials by transferring nanopatterns on molds or templates to the surface of the target material. The basic principle is to put the mold or template in contact with the target material and apply enough pressure to transfer the nanopattern in the mold to the surface of the target material.
Typically, the patterns in the mold are prepared using advanced manufacturing techniques such as photolithography and electron beam**. During the printing process, the contact area between the mold and the target material is very small, so nanoscale structural processing can be carried out.
To put it simply, nanoimprint is the process of etching a wafer pattern on a mold and then using it to:"Seals"It is printed on the surface of the wafer to realize the transfer of the wafer pattern. In fact, the concept of nanoimprint has been proposed for a long time, and there are also manufacturers in this area in China, but there are not many products that can be manufactured, and there are even fewer that realize 5nm and 2nm wafer manufacturing like Canon.
Perhaps Canon's Japanese nanoimprint program could really transform the entire chip manufacturing industry.
Is ASML's position difficult to maintain?
ASML did not expect that the sanctions would come so quickly, and this time ASML was going to introduce a strong opponent. Will ASML's position be difficult to protect?This may depend on the market benefits of nanoprinting equipment.
In the short term, as an emerging nano manufacturing technology, nanoimprint equipment still faces some challenges at this stage, although it has certain potential and market prospects. For example, the preparation and operation technology of nanoimprint equipment is relatively complex, requiring high-precision molds and high-pressure control.
Nanoimprint technology may not be comparable to lithography in some aspects, such as resolution and manufacturing efficiency. After all, this is a new product, and the market size and application scope of nanoimprint technology are relatively limited.
At present, lithography technology dominates the semiconductor industry, and as chip sizes continue to shrink, the demand for higher resolution is also increasing, which provides a broader market for ASML's EUV lithography technology. Therefore, Canon hopes to challenge ASML's position with nanoimprint equipment, but it also needs to withstand the test of the market. The future of nanoimprint technology may be a long way off, so let's wait and see.