Intel (INTC.O), opens new tab said on Thursday it had become the first company to assemble one of Dutch tech group ASML's new "High NA EUV" lithography tools, an important part of the U.S. computer chip maker's drive to outshine rivals.
Intel was the first company to buy one of the 350 million euro ($373 million) machines made by top chip equipment supplier ASML (ASML.AS). The tools are expected to lead to new generations of smaller, faster chips, though there are financial and engineering risks involved.
Intel's determination to be the first to adopt High NA is not accidental.
It helped develop EUV technology – named for the "extreme ultraviolet" light wavelengths it uses. But it began using ASML's first EUV product later than Taiwanese rival TSMC (2330.TW), which CEO Pat Gelsinger has acknowledged was a big mistake.
Intel plans to use the machine, which is the size of a double decker bus, in the development of its 14A generation of chips in 2025, with early production expected in 2026 and full commercial production in 2027.
Shipping and installation of the massive tools may take up to six months, giving Intel a head start.
