As we all know, there is only one manufacturer in the world, can produce EUV lithography, it is the Netherlands ASML.
And the reason why the world's only one, this is because ASML will be a lot of key manufacturers bundled together, such as the German optics company Zeiss (Zeiss), and then the United States Cymer, and then the German Tom Fast Group (TRUMPF) and so on.
ASML has tied these manufacturers to its chariot through investment, acquisition, shareholding, establishment of research centers and so on, and these manufacturers, probably the only manufacturers in the world who can produce these products, so ultimately only ASML is able to produce EUV lithography in the world.
However, recently, a key supply chain of ASML, ran to Shenzhen, China to build a factory, its Shenzhen subsidiary settled in Baoan Sino-German (Europe) Industrial Demonstration Park.
This manufacturer is Germany's Tom Fast Group (TRUMPF), it is ASML's EUV lithography, the world's only laser source supplier.
TRUMPF products in the EUV lithography, how important? First, let me explain the principle of EUV lithography, you will understand.
The principle of EUV lithography, to put it simply, is centered on three major systems, EUV UV light source system, objective lens system, and table system.
The specific process is to use the laser to excite a 13.5 nm wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light, and then after correction to form a controlled beam of light, and then this beam of light is projected onto the photomask table, and then projected through the objective mirror to the exposure table, and finally etched out the circuit on the silicon wafer coated with photoresist.
How one of the EUV UV light source systems is obtained is by bombarding a tin (Sn) metal droplet with a 30 kW power CO2 laser, evaporating it into a plasma, and finally obtaining the 13.5 nm wavelength EUV light.
This 30 kW CO2 laser is provided by TRUMPF, the only one of its kind in the world.
Don't underestimate this CO2 laser, it has 457,329 parts, the cable length in the system is up to 7,322 meters, and the weight is 17,090 kg, which is one of the most important core components in EUV lithography.
Now TRUMPF ran to China to build a factory, the intention is clear, that is, optimistic about the Chinese laser market, and even more long-term view, optimistic about the Chinese lithography market, the future may cooperate with China to build EUV lithography.
In fact, there is already more than one ASML supply chain running to China to build a factory, before there are KMWE and other manufacturers, also to China to build a factory.
According to the current trend, we can optimistically expect that it may not be long before China's lithography technology will be a big step forward, and even the volume of output EUV lithography, can also look forward to, do you think?
