Extreme Ultraviolet

Researchers work in a state-of-the-art photolithography cleanroom at the London Centre for Nanotechnology. The extreme precision required for modern semiconductor manufacturing demands contamination-free environments where even a single dust particle can destroy thousands of transistors. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

ASML's 0.55 NA Revolution: The $400M Machines Enabling 2nm Chips

ASML’s High-NA EUV systems achieve 0.55 numerical aperture—double the resolution of current tools—enabling critical dimensions below 10 nanometers for the first time. These $400 million machines represent the most complex manufacturing equipment ever built, with mirror precision approaching the theoretical limits of physics. Intel received the first production system in December 2023, marking the beginning of true 2nm manufacturing capability that could deliver 50% performance gains in next-generation AI processors.