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    Extreme ultraviolet lithography

    Also known as EUV, EUV lithography, EUVL, extreme ultraviolet lithography, High NA EUV

    Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is a chipmaking technique that patterns circuits with 13.5-nanometer light, much shorter than the 193-nanometer light of the finest deep ultraviolet systems.[1] The machines are made by a single company, ASML,[2] and have been used in high-volume chip production since 2019.[3]

    Editor reviewedUpdated SemiconductorsScienceTech policy
    Key facts

    Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is the technique chipmakers use to print the smallest features on advanced chips. It uses light with a wavelength of 13.5 nanometers, compared with 193 nanometers for the highest-resolution deep ultraviolet (DUV) systems.[1] All production EUV systems are made by one company, ASML.[2] In 2026 the technology is moving to a higher-resolution generation, known as High NA, that is now used in chip production.[4]

    How it works

    Lithography machines use light to print the patterns that form circuits on chips.[5] For where lithography fits among the other steps, see how chips are made. Moving from DUV to EUV light allowed much smaller features: ASML says its first EUV platform cut the critical dimension, the smallest printable feature, from more than 30 nm with DUV to 13 nm.[6]

    In ASML’s light source, molten tin droplets about 25 microns across are fired from a generator. Each droplet is hit first by a low-intensity laser pulse that flattens it, then by a stronger pulse that vaporizes it into a plasma that emits EUV light. This repeats about 50,000 times per second.[7]

    EUV light is absorbed by everything, even air. The machines therefore use multilayer mirrors instead of lenses, and the whole light path is kept in high vacuum.[8]

    Development and adoption

    ASML says it spent more than €6 billion on EUV research and development over 17 years.[9] Its first EUV platform first shipped in 2010.[6] IEEE Spectrum described the first generation of production machines, introduced in 2016, as costing more than US$100 million each.[10]

    TSMC said in October 2019 that its N7+ process was the industry’s first commercially available EUV technology delivering customer products in high volume. It had started volume production in the second quarter of 2019.[3]

    Generations and capacity

    ASML’s current NXE systems have a numerical aperture (NA), a measure of how much light the optics collect, of 0.33. They print features at 13 nm resolution.[11] The High NA EXE systems raise the NA to 0.55 and reach 8 nm resolution. ASML says this lets chipmakers print transistors 1.7 times smaller, for densities 2.9 times higher.[12]

    ASML shipped the first modules of the first High NA system to Intel in December 2023.[13] In July 2026 Intel was reported to be using High NA systems for some layers of its Intel 18A process.[4] ASML recognized revenue for two High NA systems in the fourth quarter of 2025.[14]

    ASML put its 2026 capacity for standard (low-NA) EUV systems at around 65. In July 2026 it said it planned to raise that by 30% for 2027.[15] In February 2026 the company was reported to have demonstrated a 1,000-watt light source, up from 600 watts. It said this could raise throughput from about 220 to about 330 wafers per hour per machine by 2030.[16]

    Export controls and China

    In June 2026 ASML said it had never shipped an EUV machine to China, responding to US concerns that one might have reached the country in violation of export restrictions.[17] Reuters reported in December 2025 that a prototype EUV machine had been completed in Shenzhen and was being tested. The report said it was not yet making chips.[18] US rules have controlled certain semiconductor manufacturing items bound for China since October 2022; the export controls tracker follows them.[19]

    Questions readers ask

    Why is EUV light used for chipmaking?

    Its 13.5 nm wavelength is far shorter than the 193 nm light of the finest DUV systems, which lets machines print smaller features. ASML's 0.33 NA EUV systems print at 13 nm resolution.[1][6][11]

    Who makes EUV machines?

    EUV lithography systems are made by a single manufacturer, ASML of the Netherlands.[2]

    What is High NA EUV?

    High NA EUV raises the numerical aperture from 0.33 to 0.55, improving resolution to 8 nm. ASML shipped the first High NA system to Intel starting in December 2023.[12][13]

    Does China have EUV machines?

    ASML said in June 2026 that it has never shipped an EUV machine to China. Reuters reported in December 2025 that a Chinese prototype was being tested but was not yet making chips.[17][18]

    Sources

    Each numbered claim is a statement we checked against the sources listed with it. Status shows how well established it is.

    1. [1]

      EUV lithography uses light with a wavelength of 13.5 nanometers, compared with 193 nanometers for the highest-resolution deep ultraviolet (DUV) systems. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    2. [2]

      ASML is the only manufacturer of EUV lithography systems; ASML itself describes EUV lithography as unique to ASML. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    3. [3]

      TSMC said in October 2019 that its N7+ process, the industry's first commercially available EUV lithography technology, was delivering customer products in high volume after starting volume production in the second quarter of 2019. confirmedas of 2019-10-07

    4. [4]

      In July 2026 Intel was reported to be using ASML's High NA EUV (EXE) systems to produce some layers of its Intel 18A process for a subset of Core Ultra Series 3 laptop processors. reportedas of 2026-07-15

    5. [5]

      ASML designs and manufactures lithography machines, which use light to print the patterns that form circuits on chips, and supplies chipmakers with related software and services. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    6. [6]

      ASML's first EUV platform first shipped in 2010 and reduced the critical dimension from more than 30 nm with DUV to 13 nm. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    7. [7]

      In ASML's EUV source, molten tin droplets about 25 microns across are hit first by a low-intensity laser pulse that flattens them and then by a more powerful pulse that vaporizes them into a plasma emitting EUV light, about 50,000 times per second. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    8. [8]

      EUV systems use multilayer mirrors instead of lenses, and the whole light path must be in high vacuum because EUV light is absorbed by everything, including air. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    9. [9]

      ASML says it invested more than €6 billion in EUV R&D over 17 years. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    10. [10]

      IEEE Spectrum described the first generation of production EUV machines, introduced by ASML in 2016, as costing more than US$100 million each. reportedas of 2024-06-10

    11. [11]

      ASML's NXE EUV systems have a numerical aperture of 0.33 and print features with a resolution of 13 nm. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    12. [12]

      ASML's High NA EUV systems (EXE platform) raise the numerical aperture to 0.55 and offer 8 nm resolution, which ASML says allows transistors 1.7 times smaller and densities 2.9 times higher. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    13. [13]

      ASML shipped the first modules of the first High NA EUV system to Intel in December 2023. confirmedas of 2023-12-31

    14. [14]

      ASML's record fourth-quarter 2025 net sales of €9.7 billion included revenue recognized for two High NA EUV systems. confirmedas of 2025-12-31

    15. [15]

      In July 2026 ASML said it planned to add 30% to its 2026 low-NA EUV capacity of around 65 systems for 2027 and was investigating a further 30% increase for 2028. confirmedas of 2026-07-15· forecast

    16. [16]

      In February 2026 ASML was reported to have demonstrated a 1,000-watt EUV light source, up from 600 watts, which it said could raise throughput to about 330 wafers per hour per machine by 2030 from about 220 today. reportedas of 2026-02-24

    17. [17]

      In June 2026 ASML said it had never shipped an EUV machine to China, after US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick raised concerns that one may have reached the country in violation of export restrictions. confirmedas of 2026-06-19

    18. [18]

      Reuters reported in December 2025 that a prototype EUV machine had been completed in Shenzhen and was being tested, but was not yet making chips. reportedas of 2025-12-17

    19. [19]

      A BIS interim final rule effective October 7, 2022 amended the Export Administration Regulations to control advanced computing integrated circuits, computers containing them, and certain semiconductor manufacturing items. confirmedas of 2022-10-13

    Revision history (2)
    1. Page created.
    2. Refresh: fixed two excerpts to verbatim quotes (ASML light page, TSMC N7+ release); added links to the chipmaking explainer, the computing-hardware field and export controls.

    Created Oct 10, 2026. Last reviewed by an editor on Oct 10, 2026. Next scheduled review: Jan 10, 2027.

    Cite this page

    "Extreme ultraviolet lithography." ContentLora, updated Oct 10, 2026. https://contentlora.com/wiki/euv-lithography

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