The Tool Desk
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Yes—all three companies make semiconductor lithography equipment, but they do not occupy the same part of the market. ASML is the only supplier identified in the cited official material as making commercial extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) systems. Nikon and Canon are active suppliers of deep-ultraviolet (DUV), mature-node and specialty tools, while ASML also has a large DUV business. The practical comparison is therefore not “which company makes lithography?” but “which light source, resolution class and manufacturing step does each company support?”
The short answer
Semiconductor lithography projects a or otherwise transfers a circuit pattern from a mask (reticle) onto a wafer or, for some packaging processes, a panel. The equipment determines which line widths, overlay accuracy, wafer sizes and production rates a fab can achieve.
| Company | Equipment classes documented in its current portfolio | Typical role | Distinctive point |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASML | EUV; ArF immersion; ArF dry; KrF; i-line DUV | Leading-edge logic and memory, plus mature-node production | Its EUV page describes EUV as unique to ASML; DUV systems print the remaining chip layers. |
| Nikon | ArF immersion, ArF dry, KrF and i-line front-end systems; advanced-packaging lithography, alignment and metrology/inspection | Front-end wafer fabrication and back-end packaging | The NSR-S636E specification lists 193 nm ArF exposure, 1.35 numerical aperture (NA), at least 280 wafers per hour under the stated test condition, and 38 nm-or-better resolution. |
| Canon | KrF scanners and steppers, i-line steppers, and nanoimprint equipment | BEOL, advanced packaging and specialty applications | Canon separates conventional light-based lithography from nanoimprint, which uses a different pattern-transfer mechanism. |
There is substantial DUV overlap between the three companies, but the EUV question has a different answer: the official material cited for this comparison identifies ASML as the commercial EUV supplier. No comparable current market-share, shipment or price ranking for all three companies is established here.
What semiconductor lithography equipment actually does
From mask pattern to wafer pattern
A lithography tool aligns a wafer beneath a projection system, illuminates a patterned mask, and exposes photoresist on the wafer. Development removes selected resist areas, allowing subsequent etch or deposition steps to reproduce the circuit pattern in the underlying film. The process is repeated many times for different layers. Overlay—the accuracy with which one layer lands on the previous layer—is as important as the smallest printable feature.
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Scanner versus stepper
A stepper exposes one die or field at a time, then steps to the next field. A scanner synchronously scans the reticle and wafer through a slit-shaped exposure field. Scanning can support larger fields and high productivity, but it requires extremely precise synchronization, focus control and stage movement. Product names and marketing categories vary by generation, so “stepper” does not automatically mean old or low-end equipment; the application and performance specification matter.
Light-source classes
| Class | Nominal wavelength | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| EUV | 13.5 nm | Most intricate layers in leading-edge logic and memory. |
| ArF | 193 nm | Advanced DUV patterning; immersion versions use a liquid layer between the final lens and wafer to increase effective NA. |
| KrF | 248 nm | Mature-node, power, analog, display-related and specialty layers. |
| i-line | 365 nm | Mature-node, sensors, MEMS, power and packaging work where the required feature size permits it. |
The 193 nm, 248 nm and 365 nm figures are the wavelength categories identified in ASML’s 2024 annual-report material. Wavelength alone does not determine a chip’s final dimensions: numerical aperture, process factor, resist, illumination shape, mask quality, focus control and multiple-patterning strategy all affect the result.
ASML: EUV leadership plus a complete DUV range
EUV for the most intricate layers
ASML’s EUV product material describes 13.5 nm EUV technology as unique to ASML. Its NXE systems are used to print critical layers for 7 nm, 5 nm and 3 nm logic nodes. These node labels describe technology generations rather than a single physical line width, so they should not be read as a promise that every layer on a “3 nm” chip is 3 nm wide.
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EUV does not replace every other exposure tool in a fab. ASML explicitly states that EUV prints the most intricate layers and that the rest of a chip’s layers are printed with various DUV systems. A leading-edge fab therefore needs a mix of EUV and DUV capabilities, not an EUV-only fleet.
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DUV systems for advanced and mature production
ASML’s DUV portfolio includes ArF immersion, ArF dry, KrF and i-line systems. The company describes immersion scanners as workhorses for high-volume advanced logic and memory. Its TWINSCAN NXT and XT families cover 200 mm and 300 mm wafers, allowing the same supplier to address both newer high-volume fabs and established production lines.
DUV tools remain important for several reasons: many layers do not need EUV resolution; mature-node products are manufactured in very large volumes; and process engineers often choose the least complex exposure technique that meets the design rule. A DUV tool can therefore be the right choice even in a fab that also owns EUV equipment.
What ASML’s position means in a comparison
ASML combines the broadest documented light-source coverage in this comparison with the only commercially identified EUV offering. Its DUV products compete directly with Nikon and, in parts of the portfolio, Canon. Choosing ASML does not automatically mean choosing EUV; a fab may be evaluating an ArF immersion, KrF or i-line system instead.
Nikon: DUV front-end tools and packaging capability
Front-end exposure lineup
Nikon’s official semiconductor lineup covers ArF immersion scanners, ArF dry systems, KrF tools and i-line steppers or scanners. These categories span advanced DUV patterning through mature-node production. Nikon therefore competes with ASML in DUV rather than in the EUV category identified above.
The NSR-S636E specification
Nikon lists the NSR-S636E with a 193 nm ArF source, 1.35 NA, resolution of 38 nm or better and throughput of at least 280 wafers per hour under the published test condition. Those numbers are specification values for that model and test setup, not a universal production rate. Actual output depends on wafer size, exposure conditions, layer mix, alignment requirements, resist process and uptime.
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NA is a measure of the projection system’s ability to collect light at useful angles; higher NA can support finer imaging, but it also tightens focus and process-control demands. Throughput stated in wafers per hour should likewise be compared only when the test conditions, wafer diameter and qualification criteria match.
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Back-end and specialty equipment
Nikon also lists advanced-packaging lithography, alignment stations and metrology or inspection equipment. This matters because packaging increasingly includes fine-pitch redistribution layers, interposers, chiplets and other structures that are not exposed in exactly the same way as front-end transistor layers. A supplier that can provide alignment and inspection alongside exposure may fit a packaging line even when the line is not pursuing leading-edge logic nodes.
Canon: KrF, i-line and nanoimprint for packaging and specialty work
Conventional semiconductor lithography
Canon defines semiconductor steppers and scanners as equipment that transfers a circuit pattern from a mask to a wafer or panel. Its listed conventional tools include KrF scanners and steppers and i-line steppers, with applications in back-end-of-line (BEOL) processing and advanced packaging.
These tools are relevant where the required feature size, overlay budget and substrate format do not justify an EUV or advanced ArF immersion system. BEOL layers, power devices, sensors, MEMS and packaging flows can have different topography, materials and field-size requirements from front-end logic.
How Canon distinguishes nanoimprint
Canon’s technology explanation groups conventional optical lithography by i-line, KrF, ArF and EUV light sources. It treats nanoimprint lithography separately because the pattern is transferred by a different mechanism rather than by selecting another illumination wavelength. In a nanoimprint process, a patterned template is brought into contact with the resist and the pattern is replicated; this changes the equipment, template, defect-control and overlay considerations.
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Nanoimprint should therefore not be placed in a simple wavelength ladder beside i-line, KrF, ArF and EUV. It is an alternative pattern-transfer approach that may be evaluated for particular layers or packaging applications.
ASML, Nikon and Canon compared by the decisions a fab must make
Light source and resolution class
| Decision | ASML | Nikon | Canon |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUV | Commercial EUV systems identified in the cited official material; 13.5 nm, with NXE and the 0.55-NA EXE High-NA platform. | Not identified as an EUV supplier in the cited official material. | Not identified as an EUV supplier in the cited official material. |
| ArF immersion and dry | Both are in the DUV portfolio. | Both are in the front-end lineup. | Not listed in the cited Canon lineup. |
| KrF and i-line | Both are in the DUV portfolio. | Both are in the lineup. | KrF scanners or steppers and i-line steppers are listed. |
| Nanoimprint | Not listed in the cited portfolio. | Not listed in the cited lineup. | Listed as a separate, non-optical pattern-transfer technology. |
Application and node
For leading-edge logic or memory, EUV availability and the surrounding process ecosystem dominate the decision, which is why ASML is the relevant supplier in this comparison. For advanced DUV layers, Nikon and ASML both offer ArF immersion choices, and the decision shifts to overlay, productivity, service, installed-base compatibility and process results. For mature-node, sensor, MEMS, power and packaging work, KrF and i-line capability from any of the three may be appropriate, depending on the substrate and design rules.
Architecture, overlay and throughput
Do not compare a scanner and a stepper solely by headline resolution. Ask whether the tool matches the die or panel field size, wafer diameter, topography, alignment strategy and overlay budget. Nikon’s 280-wafers-per-hour figure for the NSR-S636E is meaningful only with its stated test condition. A different tool may publish a different condition, making an apparently higher number an apples-to-oranges comparison.
Ecosystem and export rules
Exposure equipment is part of a larger ecosystem that includes reticles, photoresists, tracks, etch, deposition, inspection, computational lithography, service and spare parts. Qualification time and compatibility with a fab’s process-control software can outweigh a small difference in a brochure specification.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchASML’s regulatory filings identify Nikon and Canon as its primary DUV competitors. The same filings note Dutch licensing requirements for certain immersion-DUV exports announced in September 2024. Export eligibility depends on the destination, tool configuration and rules in force at the time of shipment, so a purchase decision must include a current compliance review rather than rely on an old product page.
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Which supplier fits which manufacturing situation?
Leading-edge logic or memory
- Determine which layers require EUV and which can remain on DUV.
- For EUV layers, evaluate ASML’s NXE systems for currently described 7 nm, 5 nm and 3 nm logic generations, or the EXE High-NA roadmap for future 2 nm and sub-2 nm work.
- Size the accompanying ArF immersion, ArF dry, KrF and i-line fleet for all non-EUV layers.
- Validate resist, mask, metrology, source and service capacity as one integrated process rather than selecting an exposure tool in isolation.
Advanced DUV production
- Start with the required critical dimension and overlay budget, not a company name.
- Compare ASML and Nikon ArF immersion or dry systems under identical wafer, field, focus and throughput conditions.
- Check whether the tool supports the fab’s 200 mm or 300 mm wafer flow and existing track, reticle and software interfaces.
- Include export licensing and long-term parts or service availability in the qualification plan.
Mature-node, sensor, MEMS or power devices
KrF and i-line systems may meet the design rules at lower process complexity than an advanced immersion tool. Compare field size, substrate topography, alignment, overlay, uptime and the ability to handle the materials used by the specific device. Canon, Nikon and ASML all have documented DUV categories relevant to this broad class, but their exact models and application support differ.
Advanced packaging and panel work
Define whether the process uses a wafer, panel, reconstituted wafer or another substrate; whether the layer is front-end or BEOL; and how much topography and overlay error the package can tolerate. Nikon documents advanced-packaging lithography, alignment and metrology or inspection. Canon documents KrF and i-line tools for BEOL and advanced packaging and separately offers nanoimprint equipment. These are application clues, not a substitute for a process demonstration.
How to read specifications without being misled
- Resolution: Ask whether the figure is an isolated-line, dense-line, contact-hole or other pattern result, and under what resist and process conditions.
- Numerical aperture: A higher NA can improve imaging resolution but narrows focus margin and may require tighter wafer flatness and process control.
- Throughput: Confirm wafer diameter, exposure dose, number of fields, alignment steps and whether the number is a best-case test value or a guaranteed production target.
- Overlay: Separate within-field, wafer-level and layer-to-layer performance; one number rarely describes all three.
- Availability: Distinguish a named platform or announced roadmap from a tool that is qualified and shipping for the exact process you need.
- Ownership cost: Include utilities, clean-room floor space, reticles or templates, resist and track integration, maintenance, metrology and operator training. Comparable purchase prices are not established for all three companies in the available material.
Common misconceptions
“Only one company makes lithography machines.”
That is incorrect. ASML, Nikon and Canon all make semiconductor lithography equipment. The narrower statement—that ASML is the only supplier identified here as making commercial EUV systems—is the one supported by the cited official material.
“EUV replaces DUV.”
It does not. EUV is used for the most intricate layers, while DUV systems print the rest of the chip’s layers. A leading-edge fab still needs a broad DUV fleet.
“A stepper is automatically obsolete.”
Steppers remain useful when field size, overlay and feature requirements fit them. Canon’s listed i-line steppers and Nikon’s stepper or scanner offerings illustrate that the architecture is selected for an application, not just an age category.
“Wavelength alone tells you the node.”
It does not. Imaging depends on wavelength, NA, process factor, illumination, resist, mask and patterning strategy. The same wavelength class can serve different products and layers.
“Headline throughput can be compared directly.”
Only when the test conditions match. Nikon’s published NSR-S636E throughput is explicitly tied to its stated condition; a different tool’s figure may use a different wafer, dose or field assumptions.
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Further reading for a deeper technical treatment
Principles of Lithography, Second Edition (SPIE Press Monograph PM146) covers photoresists, wafer steppers, overlay, masks, light sources, metrology and lithography costs. SPIE’s catalog also lists Optical Lithography, Field Guide to Optical Lithography and Introduction to Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology in print and electronic formats. Check current availability and edition details before purchasing.
Quick Recap
Key takeaways
- ASML, Nikon and Canon all make semiconductor lithography equipment.
- ASML is the only commercial EUV supplier identified in the cited official sources; EUV uses 13.5 nm light.
- ASML’s NXE systems target critical layers in 7 nm, 5 nm and 3 nm logic generations, while its 0.55-NA EXE High-NA platform is aimed at future 2 nm and sub-2 nm production.
- ASML, Nikon and Canon all have DUV-related offerings, but their portfolios and target applications differ.
- Nikon’s documented lineup spans ArF immersion, ArF dry, KrF, i-line and advanced-packaging tools; the NSR-S636E specification gives 193 nm exposure, 1.35 NA, 38 nm-or-better resolution and at least 280 wafers per hour under its stated condition.
- Canon’s documented lineup emphasizes KrF, i-line and nanoimprint equipment for BEOL, advanced packaging and specialty applications.
- The right comparison uses light source, application, node, architecture, overlay, throughput, ecosystem and export rules—not brand reputation or an isolated headline number.
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