LEUVEN, BELGIUM – September 11, 2026 – In a significant milestone for the global semiconductor industry, research and innovation hub imec has announced a breakthrough in High-Numerical Aperture (High-NA) Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. By successfully optimizing chemically amplified resist (CAR) platforms to achieve 22nm pitch line structures, imec has demonstrated that the industry’s long-standing, workhorse resist technology remains a vital pillar for the upcoming A14 and A10 logic nodes.
Presented this week at the 2026 SPIE Photomask Technology + EUV Lithography Conference, these findings provide a clear roadmap for semiconductor manufacturers aiming to accelerate the transition to the “Ångström era.” This development, achieved in close collaboration with ASML and a broad consortium of material suppliers, marks a pivotal shift in how the industry approaches the aggressive scaling requirements of next-generation Artificial Intelligence (AI) and High-Performance Computing (HPC) systems.
The Technical Breakthrough: Pushing the Limits of CAR
For decades, chemically amplified resists (CAR) have served as the foundational material for lithographic patterning. However, as the industry moved toward increasingly smaller features, many experts speculated that CAR might hit a resolution wall, potentially necessitating a wholesale shift to alternative resist technologies.
Imec’s latest research shatters this perception. By co-optimizing CAR materials with advanced etch techniques, the research hub has successfully demonstrated single-patterning at a 22nm pitch. This achievement is not merely theoretical; it includes the patterning of complex, random logic structures essential for modern chip design, such as:
- 22nm line/space structures: Achieving high pattern fidelity on meander and forked e-test structures.
- 24nm SRAM layouts: Enabling high-density memory scaling.
- 26nm tip-to-tip (T2T) distances: Critical for minimizing interconnect resistance in tight-pitch designs.
- 28nm center-to-center via structures: Essential for the intricate vertical connectivity of advanced logic nodes.
These capabilities are particularly significant for the critical layers of A14/A10 logic chips, including the metal-2 layer, via layers, and the metal-to-diffusion (MD) layer—the essential conduit connecting source/drain diffusion layers to the first metal layer.
Chronology: From Theoretical Concept to Industrial Validation
The road to this week’s announcement has been marked by a rigorous, multi-year validation process aimed at ensuring the industrial viability of High-NA EUV.
Early 2026: The IITC Foundation
The journey began in earnest earlier this year at the IEEE International Interconnect Technology Conference (IITC). At that time, imec and its partners presented initial e-test results demonstrating the feasibility of CAR-based High-NA EUV single-patterning on 28nm pitch line structures. These results were significant because they exceeded the perceived limits of CAR technology in a 0.33NA EUV environment. By proving that 1.8m-long metallized e-test structures could maintain integrity and yield, imec established the proof-of-concept necessary to push further into the 22nm regime.
Mid-2026: Ecosystem Co-Optimization
Between the IITC conference and the current SPIE event, imec engaged in a "holistic approach" to lithography. Recognizing that no single material or machine can solve the challenges of the Ångström era alone, imec worked with its patterning ecosystem—including ASML and specialized material suppliers—to co-optimize every facet of the process. This involved iterative testing of novel resist formulations, refinement of etch chemistry, and the fine-tuning of the High-NA EUV hardware itself.
September 2026: SPIE Photomask Technology + EUV Lithography
The current announcement represents the culmination of these efforts. By presenting the extended use of CAR to 22nm, imec has provided the industry with a reliable, manufacturable path forward. The specific results, detailed in paper 14272-8 ("Why chemically amplified resists extension is critical for early High-NA EUV insertion into HVM?"), serve as a blueprint for the early adoption of High-NA EUV in high-volume manufacturing (HVM).
The Strategic Importance of CAR in the High-NA Era
Why is the extension of CAR technology so critical? The answer lies in industrial maturity and economic feasibility.
CAR technology is deeply embedded in the semiconductor supply chain. It is characterized by proven stability, predictable manufacturing performance, and a well-understood interaction with existing etch processes. Replacing CAR with newer, unproven technologies would introduce significant risk and cost to the production of early Ångström-node chips.
"We have shown that we can extend CAR-based technology, achieving pitches that were not accessible with CAR-based single-print 0.33NA EUV lithography," explains Geert Vandenberghe, VP of R&D for Patterning Technology Programs at imec. "CAR-based patterning is a well-established technology that has served the semiconductor industry for several decades. Our data proves that it remains highly valuable for the High-NA EUV era, giving our strong ecosystem of partners a decisive advantage."
By extending the life of CAR, imec is effectively lowering the barrier to entry for High-NA EUV adoption. This allows manufacturers to leverage their existing expertise and infrastructure while benefiting from the massive resolution boost provided by the 0.55NA (High-NA) EUV scanners.
Implications for Future Compute Density
The industry’s push toward the Ångström era is driven by an insatiable demand for compute density. As AI models grow in complexity and HPC systems require more transistors per square millimeter to maintain performance gains, the "dimensional scaling" path must remain unobstructed.
The European NanoIC Pilot Line
This breakthrough is also a cornerstone of the imec-hosted European NanoIC pilot line. Designed to accelerate the development of systems-on-chip (SoC) beyond the 2nm node, the pilot line relies on High-NA EUV as its primary enabling technology. By validating the use of CAR at these aggressive pitches, imec is ensuring that the pilot line can move quickly from research to the production of high-performance prototypes.
Impact on Logic Design
For chip architects, the ability to utilize 22nm pitches with familiar CAR processes means that design rules for the A14/A10 nodes can remain more conservative than they would if a transition to more exotic materials were required. This consistency helps in:
- Yield Improvement: Utilizing mature resist chemistries reduces the likelihood of pattern defects.
- Time-to-Market: By avoiding a total overhaul of the lithography stack, manufacturers can accelerate the time it takes to move from design tape-out to high-volume output.
- Cost Efficiency: Maximizing the use of established materials significantly reduces the capital expenditure associated with the transition to High-NA EUV.
A Collaborative Future: The Imec Ecosystem
The success announced at the 2026 SPIE conference is a testament to the power of a collaborative semiconductor ecosystem. Imec’s role as a "gateway to the Ångström era" is defined by its ability to bring together material suppliers, equipment manufacturers like ASML, and design companies.
The co-optimization of CAR materials and litho-etch techniques represents a new paradigm in semiconductor R&D. Rather than treating lithography as a standalone step, the industry is increasingly viewing it as an integrated system where the resist, the scanner, and the etch process must be harmonized.
"This breakthrough achievement was made possible through tight collaboration with our ecosystem partners," says Vandenberghe. "It has laid the groundwork for further optimizations, driving yield improvement and pushing CAR performance towards even more aggressive pitches in the years to come."
Conclusion: Setting the Stage for the Next Decade
As the semiconductor industry navigates the complex transition into the Ångström era, the validation of CAR-based High-NA EUV single-patterning stands as a landmark success. It provides the industry with the confidence to move forward with High-NA EUV, knowing that the most critical, high-volume layers can be produced using reliable, well-understood, and cost-effective materials.
While future nodes may eventually demand new resist chemistries, the work performed at imec ensures that CAR technology will remain a vital component of the semiconductor toolkit for the foreseeable future. As AI and HPC workloads continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, the collaborative efforts of imec and its partners ensure that the underlying hardware will be ready to meet the challenge.
About Imec
Imec is a world-leading research and innovation hub in advanced semiconductor technologies. Headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, with facilities spanning Europe, the USA, and the GCC region, imec leverages the expertise of over 6,500 employees to drive innovation in semiconductor scaling, AI, silicon photonics, and beyond. Through its IC-Link and imec.ventures programs, the organization supports the entire value chain, from concept to full-scale manufacturing, ensuring that the fruits of its research continue to power the global digital economy. In 2025, imec reported revenues of €1.2 billion, reinforcing its position as a global leader in the advancement of deep-tech solutions.
