ASML unveils 1,000‑watt EUV light source, boosting chipmaking speed 50% by 2030

ASML’s upcoming Twinscan NXE system, slated for introduction in 2030 or later, will pair a 1 kW extreme‑ultraviolet (EUV) source with a throughput of up to 330 wafers per hour, a 50 percent jump over the current flagship NXE:3800E, according to the company’s own roadmap and a Reuters interview with lead technologist Michael Purvis (Reuters). The boost stems from a radical redesign of the light‑source architecture: three synchronized CO₂ lasers now fire at 100,000 tin droplets each second, doubling both droplet generation and pulse‑sequence count relative to today’s 300‑watt tools (Tom’s Hardware). This “three‑laser, two‑pulse‑sequence” scheme, first hinted at in an ASML patent filing noted by Asianometry, lifts EUV output from the 600‑W‑typical range to a full 1 kW, while preserving the plasma‑generation efficiency that underpins modern lithography.

Delivering that power to the wafer, however, required a cascade of ancillary innovations. The higher droplet flux inevitably creates more debris, prompting ASML to develop a next‑generation collector capable of removing particles before they reach the pellicle, as detailed in the Tom’s Hardware report. Simultaneously, the company introduced high‑transmission projection optics that were already fielded on the NXE:3800E but are now engineered to handle the increased photon flux without sacrificing image fidelity. These optics, together with upgraded resist formulations and sturdier pellicles, are essential for maintaining yield at the projected 450‑wafer‑per‑hour ceiling that the 1 kW source makes feasible (Tom’s Hardware).

The productivity gains translate directly into cost reductions per die. With 330 wafers per hour, a fab equipped with the new Twinscan could produce roughly 50 percent more chips on the same equipment footprint, shrinking the cost per wafer and improving the economics of advanced nodes such as 3 nm and beyond. Analysts at Reuters note that the “reasonable path toward 1,500 W, and no fundamental reason why we couldn’t get to 2,000 W” suggests a longer‑term trajectory where per‑wafer costs could fall even further, reshaping the competitive landscape for high‑volume manufacturers like TSMC and Samsung (Reuters). The ripple effect extends to the broader supply chain: lithography‑resist suppliers, pellicle manufacturers, and debris‑management vendors will need to qualify new materials and hardware to support the higher‑power regime, a coordinated effort that ASML acknowledges will involve the entire ecosystem (Tom’s Hardware).

From a strategic standpoint, the 1 kW EUV source reinforces ASML’s monopoly on high‑NA lithography and deepens the barrier to entry for any challenger. The company’s ability to double both droplet generation and laser pulse sequences without compromising tool reliability demonstrates a level of engineering depth that rivals have yet to match. As the semiconductor industry pushes toward ever‑smaller geometries to fuel AI, automotive, and edge‑computing workloads, the extra 50 percent throughput could be decisive for customers seeking to meet demand spikes without massive capex expansions. Reuters’ coverage underscores that the move is less about a single product launch and more about cementing a long‑term productivity roadmap that keeps ASML at the heart of Moore’s Law for the next decade.