Canon’s new nanoprint lithography tool will take years to rival the EUV equipment that ASML alone provides to make the world’s most advanced semiconductors, analysts told EE Times.

Canon last week began promoting its FPA-1200NZ2C nanoimprint tool that stamps a mask with a circuit pattern onto a silicon wafer. That tech differs from the optical mechanism exclusively used in ASML EUV tools to project a pattern onto a mask.

The Canon technology faces several hurdles, including a lack of precision and potential restrictions on sales of the equipment to China, experts told EE Times.

“With nanoimprint technology, it will be very tough to be on par with what EUV can reach in terms of quality,” said Cedric Rolin, a program manager with semiconductor R&D organization imec. Nanoimprint’s level of defectivity is “quite high,” he said.

 ----Form EE Times