High-NA EUV Production
Intel Begins High-Volume Manufacturing of Panther Lake Chips Using Cutting-Edge High NA EUV Lithography
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Key Points
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The High NA EUV tool costs around $400 million, about twice the price of a standard EUV machine, and its introduction into production is technically challenging. Intel received the first High NA tool in 2024 at its Hillsboro, Oregon research site to develop and refine these techniques.
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Intel has moved from trials that began in 2024 to limited production use of High NA EUV for select Panther Lake 18A layers, enabling data collection and optimization of the tool in a real manufacturing context.
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Specific Intel 18A layers are now dual-qualified on High NA EUV in Oregon, with products shipping to customers at yields matched to the NXE platform, signaling improved readiness for High NA adoption in production environments.
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Intel Foundry has entered high-volume manufacturing for a subset of its Core Ultra Series 3 Panther Lake processors using ASML’s High NA EUV, marking a tangible industry milestone and a path toward broader adoption in future nodes.
Intel has begun using ASML's next-generation High-NA EUV machines in actual chip production — a first for the industry. Investing.com reported that Intel Foundry entered high-volume manufacturing for a subset of its Core Ultra Series 3 Panther Lake laptop processors using the tool, built on Intel's 18A process node.
The High-NA EUV machine costs around $400 million — roughly twice the price of a standard EUV tool. Intel received its first unit in 2024 at its Hillsboro, Oregon research site. The company has now moved from trials to real production, marking a tangible milestone in next-generation chip manufacturing.
What High-NA EUV Does and Why It Matters
EUV stands for Extreme Ultraviolet lithography. It uses light to etch tiny circuit patterns onto silicon. High-NA EUV is the next step up. The "NA" refers to numerical aperture — a measure of optical precision. A higher NA means the machine can print finer, more densely packed circuits. That is the key to making chips faster and more power-efficient.
Standard EUV machines cost around $200 million each. The High-NA version, ASML's Twinscan EXE:5000, runs about $400 million. Only ASML makes EUV tools, giving it a unique role in the global chip supply chain. Market Screener noted that demand for ASML's machines remains strong, driven in part by AI chip production needs.
Intel Moves High-NA From Lab Bench to Factory Floor
Intel first got a High-NA EUV tool in 2024 for research at its Oregon facility. The goal was to learn how to run the machine in a real manufacturing setting — not just a lab. That work has now paid off. Specific layers of the Panther Lake chip are now being made with High-NA EUV in limited production runs.
Investing.com reported that the relevant 18A chip layers are "dual-qualified" — meaning they can be made on both the older NXE platform and the new High-NA system. Yields, a measure of how many working chips come off the line, are aligned between the two platforms. That signals the process is stable enough for real customers.
ASML Calls It a Step Toward Broader Production Adoption
ASML says the Intel work is more than just one company's experiment. The Dutch equipment maker called it progress toward wider High-NA use across the chip industry. Intel and ASML say they are still working together to improve system uptime, setup times, and manufacturing efficiency for future chip nodes.
ASML raised its full-year revenue guidance for the second time in 2026, citing unrelenting AI-driven demand for its tools. The company now expects full-year sales to come in at the high end of its prior forecast range. Analysts see the Intel High-NA milestone as a sign that chipmakers are serious about adopting the pricier, more capable machines.
What This Means for the Future of Chip Scaling
The chip industry has long relied on shrinking transistors to make processors faster. That process is getting harder and more expensive. High-NA EUV is one of the few tools that can keep chip scaling on track. Intel's move into production use — even limited — shows the technology is ready to leave the research stage.
Intel's Panther Lake chips on 18A are aimed at laptop markets. But the lessons learned on this node will shape how Intel and other chipmakers use High-NA EUV for future designs. Investing.com noted that Intel and ASML plan to keep refining the process for upcoming nodes, pointing to High-NA EUV as a cornerstone of next-generation semiconductor manufacturing.
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