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Draft:Twinscan

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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:5000 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]

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

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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]

Export restrictions

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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.[9][10] These export restrictions were meant to stop China's development of advance chips and lithography research.

In September of 2024, the Dutch government issued new export restrictions on older Twinscan machines, specifically the NXT:1970i and NXT:1980i.[10]

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.[11]

History

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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.[12]

In 2024, ASML announced the next generation of EUV lithography, high NA lithography, with it's EXE:5000 lithography machine.[13][14]

References

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  1. ^ a b "TWINSCAN: 20 years of lithography innovation". www.asml.com. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 2022-12-17.
  2. ^ "ASML Shows Off Next-Generation, $380 Million High-NA EUV Lithography Machines". ExtremeTech. 2024-02-14. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  3. ^ a b Tarasov, Katie (23 March 2022). "ASML is the only company making the $200 million machines needed to print every advanced microchip. Here's an inside look". CNBC. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
  4. ^ "TSMC accounts for half of industry's EUV equipment installation base and wafer production". TechSpot. 29 August 2020. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
  5. ^ "Deep UV Photolithography". www.newport.com. Archived from the original on 2024-08-28. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  6. ^ "Innovative EUV lithography technology dramatically increases energy efficiency and reduces capital cost of semiconductor manufacturing". Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology OIST. 2024-07-29. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  7. ^ Comment, Charlotte Trueman (2024-10-01). "Canon ships its first nanoprint lithography machine, rivals ASML". www.datacenterdynamics.com. Retrieved 2025-03-13.
  8. ^ Sohail, Omar (2025-03-10). "China's In-House EUV Machines Reportedly Entering Trial Production In Q3 2025, Utilizing An Approach That Offers A Simpler, Efficient Design; SMIC & Huawei To Benefit Greatly". Wccftech. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  9. ^ Shivakumar, Sujai; Wessner, Charles; Howell, Thomas (2024-02-21). "Balancing the Ledger: Export Controls on U.S. Chip Technology to China". Center for Strategic and International Studies.
  10. ^ a b Kharpal, Arjun (2024-09-06). "Netherlands takes on U.S. export controls, controlling shipments of some ASML machines". CNBC. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  11. ^ Sterling, Toby (2 December 2024). "ASML not changing guidance after new US crackdown on China chip exports". Reuters.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "Our history - Supplying the semiconductor industry". ASML. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  13. ^ Sterling, Toby (9 February 2024). "ASML's next chip challenge: rollout of its new $350 mln 'High NA EUV' machine". Reuters.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ "TWINSCAN: 20 years of lithography innovation". ASML. 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
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