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resistion
resistion
And as the resist becomes thinner and thinner, for smaller CD design rules, ...
ASML doubles down on EUV
Dylan McGrath
10/17/2012 10:33 PM EDT
Vote of confidence
The acquisition deal emerged out of the close collaboration between the two companies, ASML said (Cymer hs been a supplier to ASML for years). It's likely that ASML determined that EUV development is so critical to the company's future that it simply must have full control over the source development.
But it's also a pretty safe bet that ASML would not have sunk $2.4 billion into Cymer if the company did not believe pretty strongly in Cymer's ability to further improve the source technology. (ASML said it would continue to buy sources from other suppliers, but it only acquired one of them).
Among the more interesting aspects of this deal, ASML will also get Cymer's deep ultraviolet (DUV) source business. ASML says it will continue to provide DUV and EUV sources to its competitors—chiefly Nikon and Cannon. But it's pretty easy to guess who will get top priority for deliveries. The Japanese lithography companies likely would prefer to buy sources from other vendors, if they can.
The painfully slow development of EUV has forced those firms with stakes at the table—Intel, Samsung, TSMC and now ASML—to get in bed with their suppliers like nothing else in recent memory. Although other lithography technologies are still in development and could step up to save the day, these four companies understand that EUV development is critical to keeping the semiconductor industry close to on pace with Moore's Law.
Considering how much ASML's future prospects are already tied to EUV, the decision to double down seems like a good move.
Related stories:
The acquisition deal emerged out of the close collaboration between the two companies, ASML said (Cymer hs been a supplier to ASML for years). It's likely that ASML determined that EUV development is so critical to the company's future that it simply must have full control over the source development.
But it's also a pretty safe bet that ASML would not have sunk $2.4 billion into Cymer if the company did not believe pretty strongly in Cymer's ability to further improve the source technology. (ASML said it would continue to buy sources from other suppliers, but it only acquired one of them).
Among the more interesting aspects of this deal, ASML will also get Cymer's deep ultraviolet (DUV) source business. ASML says it will continue to provide DUV and EUV sources to its competitors—chiefly Nikon and Cannon. But it's pretty easy to guess who will get top priority for deliveries. The Japanese lithography companies likely would prefer to buy sources from other vendors, if they can.
The painfully slow development of EUV has forced those firms with stakes at the table—Intel, Samsung, TSMC and now ASML—to get in bed with their suppliers like nothing else in recent memory. Although other lithography technologies are still in development and could step up to save the day, these four companies understand that EUV development is critical to keeping the semiconductor industry close to on pace with Moore's Law.
Considering how much ASML's future prospects are already tied to EUV, the decision to double down seems like a good move.
Related stories:
- ASML to buy lithography source vendor Cymer
- Moore's Law threatened by lithography woes
- Intel's Bohr sees path to 10-nm chips
- TSMC to invest $1.4 billion in ASML
- Samsung to take 3% stake in ASML
- TSMC to invest $1.4 billion in ASML
- Even with Intel's chips on the table, EUV still no sure bet
- ASML says fast EUV machines coming by 2016
- ASML won't get fooled again
- ASML funding plan targets proposed 2018 EUV machine
- Chip World Faces Facts: EUV Lithography No Sure Bet
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resistion
10/18/2012 12:55 AM EDT
It's true testimony the EUV technology development was underestimated again and again. Why should ASML stop there? Why not buy the companies to get the optics and inspection tools done?
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resistion
10/18/2012 10:10 AM EDT
The funny thing is a year and a half ago, they rejected the notion of buying Cymer.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-26/asml-cfo-says-cymer-takeover-speculation-is-nonsense-1-.html
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any1
10/18/2012 2:06 PM EDT
We seem to be transitioning from vertically integrated companies to a whole vertically integrated industry. Too much consolidation will cause problems in the future. Is this cabal of companies already too big to fail? As @resistion says, why not buy all of the other major players essential to the EUV infrastructure while you're at it?
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dylan.mcgrath
10/18/2012 4:07 PM EDT
I don't know that ASML has the means or the desire for such a shopping spree. Buying Cymer is one thing; buying every major player essential to the EUV infrastructure? That seems a bit much.
It is interesting, though, that the place ASML choose to buy its way in is the area that is standing in EUV's way. Despite what ASML says about selling sources to other litho vendors, you wonder if they'll keep them all to themselves (assuming of course that the technology progresses to the point where throughput is suitable).
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any1
10/18/2012 4:40 PM EDT
The EUV source is just todays most obvious barrier to success. Tomorrow it will be the reflective optics including the masks, mask inspection and cleaning, and then resists. The companies involved in all of those areas need R & D investment help as well. There are still many obstacles to high volume manufacturing with EUV. And ASML alone wouldn't have to buy all those companies. Intel, Samsung, and TSMC could help. At this point they should just spin off a new company called EUV Inc. and invite a few more big semi companies to join. But that might make it too easy to figure out how much money they are spending on EUV.
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PV-Geek
10/18/2012 5:39 PM EDT
Just as the foundry business consolidated as the costs skyrocketed, now the equipment business will do the same. And just as everyone fears the growth of a single foundry domination to be bad for the industry, they will say the same about this segment. The costs just make any other option impractical, like it or not.
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any1
10/22/2012 2:55 PM EDT
It's not just the consolidation of a couple of equipment companies. Remember ASML invited Intel, Samsung, and TSMC to become part owners as well. So now we have everything from design through fabrication AND the equipment used to do it all intertwined together. At some point if the cost of making EUV work is so costly then maybe it's just not viable right now. Maybe the single minded pursuit of EUV litho is draining investment out of the semi industry that could better be spent elsewhere.
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marcos83
10/19/2012 7:14 AM EDT
"The technology haws proven its viability in terms of resolution"
Really? I have not seen anything impressive. They are flogging a dead horse.
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de_la_rosa
10/20/2012 5:12 PM EDT
ASML MT must be stressed.
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photoneer
10/19/2012 10:58 AM EDT
When has a technology ever improved 400% in the last 10% of its R&D cycle?
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resistion
10/20/2012 11:38 PM EDT
Buying cymer might be best way to get out of EUV, since cymer is 80
% of the duv laser base. They gain even more with multiple double patterning layers.
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double-o-nothing
10/21/2012 8:17 AM EDT
With only a few photons absorbed per sq. nm., no wonder the edge roughness is so persistent at the nm scale.
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resistion
10/25/2012 2:43 AM EDT
The Sematech TWG showed this year that the low thickness of EUV resist is also a significant factor.
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resistion
10/25/2012 8:43 AM EDT
And as the resist becomes thinner and thinner, for smaller CD design rules, fewer and fewer photons are absorbed per sq. nm, exacerbating the shot noise and LER issues.
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resistion
11/17/2012 8:52 AM EST
Nikon may be planning a coup against ASML in EUV.
http://www.nikonprecision.com/ereview/spring_2012/news-04.html
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