09/29/2026
In 2010, our extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source delivered just 1 W of EUV power. Today’s most advanced systems produce 600 W. And recently, we showed that we can reach 1,000 W in the lab.
Higher EUV source power means chipmakers can expose wafers faster, making advanced chip production faster and more cost effective. What did it take to get to this point? Here are four tech innovations behind the source development:
💥 Pre-pulse: A small additional laser pulse flattens the tin droplets into pancakes to generate EUV light more efficiently.
🛠️ Seed isolation module: The SIM prevents laser-light reflections that can disrupt EUV light generation.
💡 1 µm pre-pulse: Adding a second pre-pulse, and using a separate laser than for the main pulse, further optimized the EUV light generation process.
⏰ Repetition rate: By vaporizing more tin droplets per second, the source can produce proportionally more EUV light.
The pre-pulse and SIM were critical to reaching the 250 W milestone and bringing EUV into volume production. Now, with the 1 µm pre-pulse and 100,000 droplets per second repetition rate enabling the 1,000 W source, we’re continuing to push the limits of EUV lithography.