Progress from the NanoIC pilot line: imec pushes the boundaries of High NA EUV patterning technology

At the 2025 SPIE Photomask Technology + EUV Lithography Conference, imec and its extended partner ecosystem highlight progress in High NA EUV lithography, which is a crucial step for enabling sub-2nm logic technologies – the ambitious goal of the NanoIC pilot line.

As highlighted in a press release, imec presents two breakthrough achievements in single print High NA EUV lithography for future metallization schemes, in support of sub-2nm logic use cases:

• line structures at 20nm pitch with 13nm tip-to-tip critical dimension relevant for damascene metallization
• electrical test results of ruthenium lines at 20nm pitch obtained with a direct metal etch process

Read the press release

The results underscore the pivotal role of the imec-ASML partnership in enabling the broader ecosystem that drives High NA EUV transition to high volume manufacturing.

Other imec (co-)authored contributions on High NA EUV lithography, enabled in part by the NanoIC pilot line, showcase advances in:

• next generation patterning resolution
• dry resist process optimization
• High NA EUV stitching innovations
• advanced EUV photomask development
• cutting edge metrology
• and much more

Find an overview of all imec (co-)authored conference contributions here