Experiments with partners will begin this year.
Taiwanese edition Economic Daily News drew attention to a half-hour interview with TSMC Senior Vice President Kevin Zhang on the TechTechPotato channel, which touched on the company’s transition to using EUV lithography equipment with a high numerical aperture. Previously, company representatives hinted that the A16 process technology, which will be mastered in 2026, does not imply the use of such equipment, since it remains extremely expensive. At the same time, TSMC is interested in experimenting with such equipment, and therefore will try to get at least one lithographic scanner of this class by the end of this year.
Image source: ASML
Kevin Zhang explained that TSMC constantly analyzes the feasibility of implementing certain technologies, and in the case of High-NA EUV equipment, the corresponding decision will be made if its implementation is optimal both in terms of cost and time. For now, the company representative finds it difficult to say within what technological process such equipment will begin to be used at TSMC enterprises in mass production conditions.
