Semiconductor lithography machines are booming: Major manufacturers ramp up orders, while Russia steps up its efforts.

In the semiconductor industry, lithography machines—representing cutting-edge upstream equipment—play a decisive role in driving industry development and have become a key force behind advancements in chip manufacturing processes and the overall growth of the sector. Recently, there has been significant activity in the semiconductor lithography machine field, with major players like Intel and Samsung increasing their orders for these critical tools. Meanwhile, Russia unveiled its roadmap for developing advanced lithography machines, aiming to boost the growth of its domestic chip industry.

01 Two Major Semiconductor Manufacturers Increase Orders for Lithography Machines

According to foreign media Techpowerup, leading lithography equipment manufacturer ASML recently announced that, based on current order information and market demand, it expects to deliver 10 High-NA EUV systems and 56 EUV lithography machines by 2027.

Among them, Intel and Samsung have both recently increased their orders for lithography machines: Intel raised its order for High-NA EUV from 1 unit to 2 units, and its order for EUV from 3 units to 5 units. Meanwhile, Samsung also boosted its EUV order from the original 5 units to 7 units.

The industry points out that as chip manufacturing processes continue to advance toward 2nm and below, EUV is gradually approaching its physical limits—making High-NA EUV technology the key tool for breaking through this bottleneck.

High Numerical Aperture (High-NA) represents a further advancement in EUV technology—it serves as a metric for a lens's ability to focus light. The higher the numerical aperture, the sharper the resolution, enabling the creation of finer circuit patterns. This, in turn, significantly reduces manufacturing time, ultimately lowering defect rates and boosting yield.

However, with great capability comes a hefty price—each ASML High-NA EUV tool can cost as much as $380 million. Due to these high costs, different wafer foundries have varying plans for adopting High-NA EUV technology.

Intel plans to mass-produce its 14A process using this technology in the coming years. Recently, Intel Chief Financial Officer David Zinsner revealed that the next-generation Intel 14A (1.4nm-class) manufacturing process will be the company’s first cutting-edge fabrication technology specifically tailored for foundry customers. This advanced process will leverage ASML’s latest 0.55NA High-NA EUV lithography tool, the Twinscan EXE:5200B. As a result of adopting the High-NA EUV scanner, the cost of the 14A process is expected to be higher than that of the 18A process.

TSMC remains relatively cautious, as the company's A16 process will still rely on Low-NA EUV technology.

On the Samsung side, media reports indicate that in March of this year, Samsung installed its first High-NA EUV machine, intended for the production of 1.4-nanometer chips.

02 Russia's Lithography Machine Technology Roadmap Unveiled

Recently, Dmitry Kuznetsov, a Russian PhD in Computer and Data Science, unveiled Russia's latest roadmap for developing lithography machines on a social media platform.

The roadmap indicates that Russia plans to complete the development of a 65-40nm resolution lithography machine as early as 2026, develop a 28nm-resolution lithography machine by 2032, and finalize the creation of a next-generation extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine capable of producing advanced processes below 10nm by the end of 2036.

Industry sources point out that Russia's lithography machine R&D approach differs significantly from ASML's, primarily in its use of hybrid solid-state lasers, xenon-plasma-based light sources, and reflective lenses made from ruthenium and beryllium (Ru/Be) that operate at a wavelength of 11.2 nanometers.

For example, ASML's EUV lithography machines use lasers to bombard tiny droplets of liquid tin, generating an EUV light source with a wavelength of 13.5 nm. This light is then collected and precisely directed toward the photoresist on the wafer surface via reflective mirrors. However, the process inevitably produces metallic tin debris, which can contaminate the photomask—also known as the reticle. In contrast, Russian lithography systems opt for a laser-based approach using xenon gas to produce an EUV light source at a wavelength of 11.2 nm. This innovation not only boosts resolution by about 20% but also simplifies the overall design while significantly reducing the cost of the entire optical system. Additionally, this design minimizes contamination of optical components, helping to extend the lifespan of critical parts like collectors and protective films.

The aforementioned equipment is expected to cover process requirements ranging from 65nm to 9nm, making it suitable for mainstream critical processes between 2025 and 2027. Each generation of the equipment is anticipated to enhance optical precision and scanning efficiency, while its per-unit cost structure is likely to remain lower than ASML's Twinscan NXE and EXE platforms. However, industry insiders also note that Russia's domestically developed EUV lithography technology currently faces significant technical and cost challenges.

These devices are not aimed at ultra-large-scale fabs, but rather designed to provide cost-effective solutions for smaller foundries. If fully implemented, the project will enable local manufacturing and export supply of advanced chips with significantly lower capital and operating costs.