ASML: Moore’s Law to advance chips for 15 more years; First advanced-packaging tool ships in Q3

ASML, the company behind the world’s most advanced chipmaking tools, has offered fresh insights into the future of chipmaking and how its technologies will drive the next wave of progress.

According to Commercial Times, Kuan-Cheng Hsu, Head of Customer Marketing for ASML Taiwan and Southeast Asia, said that the global semiconductor revenue is expected to exceed US$1 trillion by 2030, with AI emerging as the industry’s strongest growth engine. Hsu also noted that ASML’s lithography technologies, from Low-NA and High-NA EUV to its new large-field i-line exposure platform, will be central to advancing the AI era.

Hsu also predicts that high-performance computing (HPC) and data centers will account for more than 40 percent of global chip demand by 2030, driving an unprecedented race in process technology. He added that the computing power required for generative AI is soaring, driving advanced logic chips to push energy efficiency and linewidth scaling far beyond the trajectory of traditional Moore’s Law.

Moore’s Law itself is expected to continue advancing the process roadmap for the next 15 years, as noted by Economic Daily News.

EUV developments across Low-NA and High-NA
The Commercial Times report notes that ASML maintains a strong market share in lithography technology. Its latest Low-NA EUV system, the NXE:3800E, delivers an overlay performance of 0.9nm, supporting further gains in cost efficiency. Hsu added that Low-NA EUV is expected to reduce single-exposure costs by 30 percent over the next five years.

Low-NA EUV will also remain essential for 2nm and 1.4nm nodes, according to supply chain sources. EUV mask layer counts are set to rise as well, with N2 processes reportedly requiring about 21 to 24 layers and A14 processes expected to reach 24 to 26 layers. The report adds that related mask makers in Taiwan are projected to benefit from this trend.

In addition, the report notes that ASML’s High-NA systems have now exposed more than 350,000 wafers, demonstrating their ability to produce in a single exposure the complex structures that previously required multiple Low-NA steps.

ASML pushes new frontiers in advanced packaging technology
Notably, while ASML’s role in back-end packaging has drawn relatively little attention, the company has already introduced its XT:260 system, with the first unit shipped in the third quarter to meet customer demand, according to Economic Daily News.

Industry sources indicate that this development suggests future bottlenecks in advanced packaging may be alleviated through new opportunities enabled by ASML’s lithography innovations. As Commercial Times highlights, the i-line DUV tool, featuring an exposure field four times larger, can significantly boost production efficiency for advanced packaging, delivering a three- to fourfold improvement over current solutions.

Source: TrendForce, Taiwan.