ASML, the dominant maker of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography tools, is publicly dismissing particle-accelerator-based light sources for future chipmaking. According to Tom's Hardware, the company sees little reason to switch from its current laser-produced plasma (LPP) technology to free-electron lasers (FELs), despite the latter's high-profile backers.
Instead, ASML is doubling down on LPP systems, pushing them toward 1,000W of output power. The company's progress with LPP sources appears to be the main reason it is barely interested in FELs, which would require a fundamentally different approach to generating EUV light.
The decision highlights a clear fork in the road for next-generation lithography: one path refines the existing plasma-based method, while the other bets on a more exotic accelerator-driven source. For now, ASML's roadmap remains firmly on the LPP track, suggesting that the industry's near-term EUV scaling will depend on incremental power gains rather than a radical change in light-source technology.