TSMC of Taiwan Orders from ASML EUV Lithography Systems

The Dutch equipment vendor, ASML reports having received orders from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), major pure silicon foundry, for two NXE: 3350B models of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system for semiconductor volume production.

ASML said to begin shipping the latest lithography machines in 2015, and will help TSMC upgrade the two NXE: 3300B models it purchased this year to NXE: 3350B.

Industry executives believe the new machines to help TSMC to  deploy 10nm process by 2017, and that TSMC used NXE: 3300Bs to develop 10nm process technology and printed 10nm chips on 600 wafers daily in Q3. ASML estimates TSMC to be able to print 1,500 wafers of chips daily by 2016.

In an institutional investor conference held few days ago, TSMC Chairman Morris Chang said the company's 10nm technology development project is on-track, progressing faster than its 16nm development by 25%  and being 45% more energy efficient than its 16nm process, and while EUV is still under development, 10nm process is very likely to use the latest lithography technology.

ASML executives say EUV systems can further cut  production cost of logic, DRAM, and NAND Flash chips by further shrinking integrated circuit geometry and streamlining manufacturing process, and that the semiconductor industry has consistently downsized such  structure to meet consumer demand for smaller, energy-saving electronic gadgets.

ASML targets generating revenue up to 10 billion euro (US$12.4 billion) by 2020, with net profit tripling the current level. (KL)