High-NA EUV Mass Production Milestone Lifts Bar for Synthetic Quartz Photomask Substrates

1. Industry Milestone: High-NA EUV Enters Mass production

On July 15, 2026, Intel Foundry became the first manufacturer to ship high-volume logic chips made with ASML’s High-NA EUV technology on its 18A process node. As High-NA systems shift from R&D to mass manufacturing, synthetic quartz photomask substrates face sharply higher performance requirements. For sub-2nm nodes, mask blank material properties directly determine patterning accuracy, overlay precision and final wafer yield.

Kirchhoff-type and rigorous 3D mask modeling: EUV

2. Tougher Requirements for High-NA Mask Substrates

Compared with standard 0.33NA EUV tools, High-NA systems deliver ~70% higher resolution, while imposing far stricter demands on mask blanks:

• Ultra-low CTE: Higher EUV energy density amplifies thermal stress. Near-zero thermal expansion is critical to avoid pattern shift and overlay errors.

• Atomic-level surface precision: Extreme flatness and optical homogeneity are required to prevent critical dimension deviation and imaging degradation.

• Near-zero internal defects: Sub-micron inclusions or bubbles transfer directly to wafers as fatal flaws, making zero-defect quality mandatory.

3. High-NA Ready 6.6-Inch Photomask Quartz Substrates

Nantong Jingcai Precision offers 6.6-inch synthetic quartz photomask substrates built for High-NA specifications:

• High-purity synthetic fused silica base, ultra-low CTE, >99% transmittance across DUV/EUV bands

• Full-surface flatness within 1μm, with tight control of surface roughness and internal stress

• Multi-stage inspection minimizes internal bubbles and inclusions for reliable pattern transfer

• SEMI-compliant, fully compatible with mainstream mask scanners worldwide

With integrated upstream supply chains, we also support custom specifications for R&D and pilot lines. For technical consultation or sample evaluation, contact our overseas team: javier.lu@ztt.cn