Hyper-NA EUV: The Next Extension Beyond High NA Lithography (Carl Zeiss, ASML)

What happened

Researchers at Carl Zeiss SMT and ASML published a technical paper titled “Hyper-NA: a system with a numerical aperture of at least 0.75.” Abstract Summary: The researchers examine Hyper-NA EUV lithography with a numerical aperture of at least 0.75 as a path beyond current 0.55-NA High-NA systems, including the optical architecture, resolution potential, reticle 3D effects, polarization, and requirements for extending the existing EUV ecosystem. Patra, Michael, Heiko Feldmann, Jens Timo Neumann, and Gerardo Bottiglieri. ASML is a semiconductor company based in Veldhoven, founded in 1984, which employed about 44,000 people in 2026.