Key Points:
- ASML developed a new way to increase chip output by 50%.
- The upgrade boosts the machine’s light source from 600 to 1,000 watts.
- Factories could process 330 silicon wafers every hour by 2030.
- Researchers achieved this by doubling the speed of molten tin droplets.
Dutch technology giant ASML revealed a major engineering breakthrough on Monday that could drastically speed up the global production of computer chips. The company found a way to increase the power of the light source in its advanced machines. This upgrade aims to help factories churn out up to 50% more chips by the end of the decade.
ASML currently stands alone as the only company in the world that sells commercial extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) machines. These massive devices are essential for companies like Intel and TSMC to print the microscopic patterns found on the most advanced processors. By improving the light source, ASML hopes to lower the cost of making chips and maintain its lead over new competitors emerging in the United States and China.
The new system is powerful. Michael Purvis, ASML’s lead technologist, explained that this is not just a lab experiment. The new setup can generate 1,000 watts of power, a significant jump from the current 600 watts. More power means the machine can print designs onto silicon wafers much faster because the chemical coating on the wafer needs less time to react to the light.
To achieve this, engineers had to refine an already complex process. The machine creates EUV light by shooting a stream of molten tin droplets through a chamber and blasting them with a laser until they turn into plasma hotter than the sun. The new method doubles the number of tin drops to 100,000 every second and hits them with two laser bursts instead of one.
Teun van Gogh, an executive vice president at ASML, stated that this speed boost will allow customers to process about 330 wafers an hour, up from the current limit of 220. This efficiency is vital as startups like xLight and Substrate raise millions to challenge ASML’s dominance.
Looking ahead, the company believes it can push the technology even further. Purvis noted that the team sees a clear path to reaching 1,500 watts soon, with the potential to hit 2,000 watts in the future.
