ASML has confirmed that the Intel Foundry is already using High NA EUV technology in mass production, on the Intel 18A manufacturing process. According to the company, this lithography technology is used to produce a part of the Intel Core Ultra 3 processor, which represents the first use case of High NA EUV machines for silicon on a large scale.
Back in 2024, Intel installed an ASML EXE:5000 High NA EUV machine of the first generation, intended for research and development. At the end of 2025, the company introduced the more advanced TWINSCAN EXE:5200B system. The new model maintains the same level of precision, but brings even greater productivity thanks to a more powerful EUV light source, a new architecture for working with silicon disks and tighter alignment control. In other words, the machine can work faster, more stably and more accurately.
The Intel 18A is the first process to use High NA EUV in high-volume production
High NA, or High Numerical Aperture EUV, represents the next generation of EUV lithography. The resolution of lithographic systems can be increased in two ways: by using light of a shorter wavelength or by improving optics, control and the production tools themselves. High NA EUV takes another approach, improving existing EUV technology through more advanced optics and more precise process control.
ASML states that the Intel 18A process at the Oregon facility is “dual qualified,” meaning it is qualified for both High NA EUV and standard EUV lithography machines. Intel, according to ASML, managed to match silicon yields on both platforms. High NA EUV is currently used to draw certain layers of 18A products, not necessarily for the entire production process.
Such an approach allows Intel and ASML to collect data from real production, further tune the system and prepare the ground for the wider use of High NA EUV technology. It is expected that future Intel production processes will increasingly depend on this technology, while the next A14 process could be practically tied to High NA EUV lithography.
The importance of High NA EUV technology is that it enables denser packing and more efficient operation of transistors, which is crucial for future processors, graphics chips and other semiconductors. Intel is the first manufacturer to bring this technology into mass production, while TSMC plans to continue with Low NA EUV machines for its processes until 2029.
This shows that TSMC still has a lot of confidence in the existing EUV technology, but the slower adoption of High NA EUV could give Intel an important advantage if it can use the new lithography earlier and provide more stable yields than the competition, reports Overclock3D.