Those TwinScan systems are much newer than the PAS5500 series I'm familiar with (the one they're really bragging about in that article with the 95% stat). ASML doesn't sell them anymore, they only offer the refurbishment program: https://www.asml.com/en/products/refurbished-systems
Sooner rather than later it'll be cheaper to buy a TwinScan system than to fix a PAS5500/750, but at that point why would the fab keep making 180nm chips when they can make more money making 45nm chips with the same system? Last I checked, some critical parts already had 1+ year lead times because they had to be made to order so fabs have to keep their own stock.
Edit: Sorry I misused "EOL" in a previous comment. They're still being supported my ASML, but you can't buy a new machine so expanding a fab means upgrading the node.
I suppose it depends what they're printing and why. There are plenty of structures that will want to be 180nm and larger for many years to come.
But I definitely agree that pretty soon it will make no sense to artificially limit printing resolution and, for high volume manufacturing, buying a new machine that can't do better than 180nm will make little sense.
TSMC is phasing out 180nm officially already for 2 years due to demand on more advanced nodes like 65nm or 40nm. All the BCD stuff is implemented on those processes too. They are moving the equipment used in 180nm to these newer nodes. I think they don't want anything laeger than 110nm.
Comments
Those TwinScan systems are much newer than the PAS5500 series I'm familiar with (the one they're really bragging about in that article with the 95% stat). ASML doesn't sell them anymore, they only offer the refurbishment program: https://www.asml.com/en/products/refurbished-systems
Sooner rather than later it'll be cheaper to buy a TwinScan system than to fix a PAS5500/750, but at that point why would the fab keep making 180nm chips when they can make more money making 45nm chips with the same system? Last I checked, some critical parts already had 1+ year lead times because they had to be made to order so fabs have to keep their own stock.
Edit: Sorry I misused "EOL" in a previous comment. They're still being supported my ASML, but you can't buy a new machine so expanding a fab means upgrading the node.
I suppose it depends what they're printing and why. There are plenty of structures that will want to be 180nm and larger for many years to come.
But I definitely agree that pretty soon it will make no sense to artificially limit printing resolution and, for high volume manufacturing, buying a new machine that can't do better than 180nm will make little sense.
TSMC is phasing out 180nm officially already for 2 years due to demand on more advanced nodes like 65nm or 40nm. All the BCD stuff is implemented on those processes too. They are moving the equipment used in 180nm to these newer nodes. I think they don't want anything laeger than 110nm.