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Zeiss has begun producing High NA EUV optics for ASML

2026-07-31 · 11:00 UTC ·@Object_Zero_ ·1 min read

Brief

Zeiss has begun producing High NA EUV lithography optics (NA=0.55) for ASML, a 66% NA increase over current NA=0.33 that cuts critical dimension from ~13 nm to ~8 nm and raises feature density ≈2.79×. Manufacturing requires massive, ultra-precise equipment (40k-part optics, 12 t; 150 t mirror machine; 3-month mirror machining); hyper-NA >0.7 is projected for 2032–2035.

Why it matters

Zeiss has begun producing High NA EUV optics for ASML: NA = 0.55 versus current NA = 0.33 (a 66% increase), which reduces critical dimension from ~13 nm to ~8 nm and raises feature density ≈1.67^2 = 2.789× (near tripling).

Key details

  • Production involves extreme scale and precision: projection optics ≈40,000 parts (~12 tonnes); illumination system ≈25,000 parts (~6 tonnes); mirror-manufacturing machine ≈100,000 parts (~150 tonnes) with a 5 m × 5 m × 10 m vacuum chamber; mirrors are machined for ~3 months to a claimed precision “equivalent to 1 mm deviation over an area the size of the Pacific Ocean.”
  • Hyper-NA (>0.7) using eight mirrors is expected in production 2032–2035 to reach ~6 nm CD (single Si atom ≈0.23 nm → ±≈24-atom precision); ultra-precision machine axes already reach 1–2 nm resolution and ~25 nm contour accuracy (see IPC/CPC class B23B).
Source evidence

High NA-EUV Lithography

Zeiss is beginning production of their High NA-EUV systems for ASML.

“High NA” means high numerical aperture, which is a measure of the angular range from which an optical system can pick up light. For context High NA has numerical aperture of 0.55, whereas current EUV NA is 0.33

A 66% improvement.

That’s a feature density improvement of 1.67^2=2.789 so a near tripling of transistor density per unit area. It brings the critical dimension down to 8nm from 13nm.

Q: How did Zeiss achieve this?
A: With great difficulty.

• The projection optics system is 40,000 parts and around 12 tonnes.

• The illumination system is 25,000 parts and is 6 tonnes.

• The machine that manufacturers these mirrors is based in Germany, and consists of 100,000 parts and is 150 tonnes, the machining chamber itself is a 5m x 5m x 10m vacuum chamber.

The mirrors are machined for 3 months[!] to achieve a precision equivalent to 1mm deviation over an area the size of the Pacific Ocean.

It’s worth noting here that theoretical maximum NA = 1.0

Hyper NA (>0.7 and achieved using 8 mirrors) is expected the enter production 2032 - 2035.

That brings the critical dimension down to around 6nm and that might be the end, a single silicon atom is 0.23nm so the precision would be +/- 24 atoms.

Fun note… there is a category of lathes and machine tools called “ultra-precision” and these have axis resolutions of 1-2nm and can produce contoured shapes to 25nm accuracy.

You can buy “ultra-precision” machines, grinding machines for optical equipment have incredibly precise axis control because surface asperity on a mirror is visible to the eye.

B23B is the IPC/CPC class, and it teaches some interesting niche stuff (tells you where the future is going, even with trade secrets omitted).