According to the different types of inspection, semiconductor quality control equipment can be divided into inspection equipment and metrology equipment.

Semiconductor inspection runs through the entire semiconductor process, namely the front-end and back-end. Semiconductor inspection includes optical inspection, electron beam inspection and X-ray measurement. It mainly detects whether there are abnormal quality conditions on the surface of the wafer or in the circuit structure, such as scratches/scratches, particle contamination, graphic errors and other defects. Different inspection technologies have obvious differences, mainly reflected in accuracy, speed and inspection purpose.

At present, optical inspection is the mainstream in semiconductor inspection technology. The types of semiconductor optical inspection include patterned, non-patterned and mask inspection. Among them, patterned defect inspection is divided into bright field inspection and dark field inspection. Both are analyzed through optical signals. The difference is that the bright field is a vertically reflected light signal, while the dark field is a scattered light signal.

Masks are also called photomasks or reticle. They are graphic masters used in the photolithography process commonly used in microelectronic processing technology. As a carrier of graphic information, the mask transfers the graphics to the substrate material through the exposure process, thereby realizing the transfer of graphics.

In the semiconductor lithography process, corresponding light sources are required for different masks. Different masks have different applications, and can be generally divided into binary masks, phase-shift masks, and EUV masks. EUV masks are a new type of masks designed specifically for EUV (extreme ultraviolet) lithography technology. Given that EUV wavelengths are extremely short and easily absorbed by a variety of materials, traditional refractive elements such as lenses cannot be used. Instead, based on Bragg's law, the reflection of the light beam is achieved through a multi-layer (ML) structure (unlike EUV, DUV uses transmitted light). This type of mask is widely used in 7nm, 5nm, 3nm, and 2nm (TSMC plans to mass produce in 2025) high-end manufacturing processes.

Mask defect inspection is a key step in the semiconductor lithography process, which aims to inspect the mask and identify and repair defects on it. As a critical component in the lithography process, the mask is responsible for accurately transferring the circuit pattern to the wafer. Its quality is directly related to the accuracy of the wafer pattern and the performance of the final device. There are many types of defects, including particle contamination, pattern breakage, bridging problems, and defects in the mask material itself.

EUV mask defect inspection equipment is a special equipment that plays an important role in high-end semiconductor manufacturing processes. Given the high precision required by EUV lithography technology, even the smallest defect on the mask may significantly affect the quality of the circuit pattern on the wafer, and thus adversely affect the performance and yield of the chip. Therefore, the use of special inspection equipment to strictly inspect EUV masks is an indispensable key link in ensuring the quality of semiconductor manufacturing.

At present, the main techniques for mask inspection are optical inspection and SEM inspection. From the perspective of downstream applications, as long as the mask uses the protective film Pellicle, EUV mask inspection equipment is required (in other words, as long as there is an EUV lithography machine, EUV inspection equipment must be used), but not all EUV masks of downstream terminal manufacturers will be used with Pellicle.

According to the new market research report "EUV Mask Defect Inspection Equipment - Global Market Share and Ranking, Overall Sales and Demand Forecast 2025-2031", published by QYResearch, the global EUV Mask Defect Inspection Equipment market size is projected to grow from USD 1864.5 million in 2024 to USD 3853.0 million by 2031, at a CAGR of 12.53% during the forecast period.

EUV Mask Defect Inspection Equipment Industry Trends

Market Drivers:

1. The support of national policies is the core driving force for the development of the industry:

Wafer Defect Inspection and Review System belongs to a small category in the semiconductor industry. Many countries and regions support the technological innovation and development of their own companies in the semiconductor field by providing financial subsidies, tax incentives, R&D funds, etc. For example, the CHIPS and Science Act signed by the US President in August 2022 mentioned the provision of US$52.7 billion in semiconductor manufacturing subsidies; the European Union passed the EU Chips Act political agreement on April 18, 2023, and it is expected to provide 43 billion euros in semiconductor manufacturing subsidies; the United Kingdom also released The National Semiconductor Strategy on May 19, 2023, planning to provide 1 billion pounds of assistance to semiconductor manufacturing and R&D units in the next 10 years.

2. Commercial applications brought about by technological progress:

With the advancement of semiconductor technology, the process nodes of chips are constantly shrinking, from 7nm, 5nm to 3nm or even smaller. These advanced process nodes have very high requirements for the quality of masks, and more accurate defect detection equipment is required to ensure production quality. In addition, EUV lithography technology has become a key technology for achieving process nodes of 7nm and below. The development of EUV mask defect inspection equipment is directly related to the application of EUV lithography technology.

3. End-market demand:

The chip size of logic devices such as GPUs used in ChatGPT and generative AI is very large. Doubling the size of the mask doubles the probability of particles landing on the mask compared to masks with smaller chip sizes, so pellicles are expected to be used in the future. Once the pellicle is attached, other types of equipment (such as electron beam or DUV) cannot detect it with high sensitivity except EUV inspection equipment. With the development of miniaturization, defects and particles that were previously too small to be a problem will also affect the yield of devices. The need to detect such tiny defects and particles will increase the demand for EUV mask defect inspection equipment.

4. Rapid growth of the advanced packaging market

In the rapidly growing advanced packaging market, which covers a wide variety of devices and technologies, new inspection and measurement steps are essential to ensure the goodness of the package. Bumps and hybrid bonding are replacing traditional wire bonding as the mainstream interface. Various bump types and sizes are available for different packaging technologies. In high-density architectures, wafers with hundreds of millions of bumps are becoming more common, and due to the requirements of package reliability, 100% inspection and measurement are required. Since multiple chips are included in the package, the cost is high, so a "Known Good Dice" is needed to ensure that each chip in the package works properly.

5. The semiconductor market is experiencing a steady recovery and growth in 2024. Despite the challenges of tight supply chains and insufficient production capacity in the past few years, the market is now gradually returning to balance. Wafer foundry and packaging and testing capacity are continuing to expand to meet the strong demand for high-performance semiconductor products in emerging applications such as 5G, IoT, artificial intelligence, and traditional markets such as mobile phones, PCs, and automobiles. With the continuous advancement of technology and cost optimization, the price of semiconductor products has stabilized and market competition has become increasingly fierce. Manufacturers are stepping up technological innovation and green and sustainable development to compete for market share and adapt to market changes. Overall, the semiconductor market is expected to show a positive development trend in 2025, with both opportunities and challenges.

Market Restraints:

1. EUV Mask Complexity:

EUV masks are more complex than traditional masks, especially in terms of structural design and manufacturing. EUV masks use multi-layer mirrors, and even tiny defects can have a serious impact on the performance of the final chip. It becomes extremely difficult to detect these extremely fine defects (such as nano-scale depressions, particles or pattern defects). Existing defect detection technology must continue to improve resolution and accuracy.

2. Technical Barriers to Inspection:

The short wavelength of EUV light (13.5 nanometers) increases the difficulty of detection, because traditional detection methods cannot effectively detect extremely small mask defects. Therefore, the development of high-precision detection tools requires the use of innovative optical, electron beam or other advanced imaging and analysis technologies, which are themselves very complex and have a long R&D cycle.

3. Equipment Costs and Maintenance Costs are High：

EUV mask defect detection equipment is one of the most expensive semiconductor equipment in the world. The manufacture of these high-precision equipment requires cutting-edge materials and technologies, such as high-resolution imaging technology and high-energy light sources, which greatly increases R&D and manufacturing costs. In addition, in order to achieve high-precision detection, the equipment also needs to operate in an ultra-clean and ultra-stable environment, which further increases the cost of infrastructure construction. The maintenance of EUV equipment requires expertise and high-tech equipment maintenance, which further increases the total cost.

4. High quality requirements:

EUV masks have a very low tolerance for defects, especially as process nodes shrink (such as 5nm and 3nm). Every nanometer-level defect may lead to a decrease in chip yield. Therefore, the equipment not only needs to detect defects, but also needs to be able to classify and evaluate the severity of defects so that they can be repaired during the manufacturing process.

5. The semiconductor industry, including the semiconductor equipment industry, is dependent on global supply chains. Political, geopolitical, economic and financial crises and instability have negatively impacted the semiconductor industry and its end markets in the past and may do so again in the future. Prolonged or increased use of trade barriers could result in slower global economic and semiconductor industry growth and could cause global market volatility, which could lead to lower end-customer electronic product sales and could reduce demand for semiconductor equipment products and services. Such developments could negatively impact the ability of semiconductor equipment suppliers to sell, ship products, collect payments and provide support to customers in certain regions in accordance with trade restrictions, embargoes, logistics restrictions and export control laws. Semiconductor equipment suppliers could also face shortages, increased costs and shipping delays for certain semiconductor components due to supply chain disruptions caused by geopolitical conflicts, such as recent hostilities affecting shipping in the Red Sea, which have resulted in increased shipping costs and delivery time delays, as well as related insurance costs, and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

6. In addition, the semiconductor industry has from time-to-time experienced significant downturns due to global economic conditions as well as industry-specific factors (such as over-ordering in recent years), which in turn have resulted in excess customer inventory, excess built-in capacity, fluctuations in product supply, product obsolescence and changes in end-customer preferences. A downturn, as experienced in the past several years, could result in a significant reduction in demand for the products and services provided by semiconductor equipment suppliers and could result in a decline in suppliers’ sales. In addition, due to the continued need for semiconductor equipment suppliers to invest in research and development; the continued need to market new products; and the continued extensive customer service and support needs around the world, suppliers’ ability to significantly reduce expenses during such downturns may be limited.

7. The U.S. government has enacted trade restrictions, reflecting national security concerns on conducting business with certain Chinese entities, active in the semiconductor industry. Among other things, the U.S. Department of Commerce has added several Chinese semiconductor manufacturers to the U.S. EAR (export administration regulations) Entity List. Since 2022, the list of Chinese entities subject to U.S. export control restrictions has grown as the United States has imposed additional China-related export controls on certain semiconductor manufacturing products and related products.

In certain circumstances, the above export restrictions may also apply to products or services exported from countries other than the United States by some semiconductor equipment suppliers if their activities are linked to the United States, if the products contain certain U.S.-origin items in excess of applicable de minimis standards, or are produced using certain U.S.-controlled technology, software, or production equipment. In addition, sanctions and export controls imposed by many countries with which semiconductor equipment suppliers’ business are relevant, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and countries in the European Union, significantly restrict trade with Russian entities and individuals.

These and further developments in multilateral and bilateral treaties, national regulations, and trade, national security, and investment policies and practices have already affected and may further affect the businesses of semiconductor equipment suppliers in some countries, as well as the businesses of upstream suppliers and customers.

8. Even if U.S. and other global export controls do not directly apply to the products of semiconductor equipment suppliers in certain countries, they may have an impact on the entire semiconductor equipment industry. Certain additional export administration regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce starting in October 2022 may have an adverse impact on China's entire semiconductor manufacturing industry and reduce the industry's demand for semiconductor equipment, thereby indirectly affecting sales in China by suppliers other than the United States. Similarly, changes in Taiwan's relationship with China may affect the ability of semiconductor equipment suppliers to serve Taiwanese customers. In addition, tensions/deterioration/war between South Korea and North Korea may affect the supply of semiconductor equipment.

Market Trends:

1. High-resolution and advanced numerical aperture (NA) inspection: Given the continued shrinking of process nodes, EUV mask defect inspection equipment is in urgent need of higher resolution capabilities. Looking ahead, these devices will incorporate more advanced sensor technology and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to achieve unprecedented inspection accuracy and sensitivity to ensure that increasingly stringent manufacturing process standards are met.

2. With the rapid development of semiconductor manufacturing technology, the functional requirements of EUV mask defect detection equipment are becoming increasingly diversified. The future development trend will be towards multifunctional integration, not only limited to simple defect detection, but also covering additional functions such as automatic defect classification, precise positioning and even preliminary repair, so as to comprehensively improve the comprehensive performance and operating efficiency of the equipment.

EUV Mask Defect Inspection Equipment Upstream and Downstream Analysis

EUV Mask Defect Inspection Equipment Industry Chain

The industry chain of EUV mask defect detection equipment industry is divided into three parts:

The main participants in the upstream of the industry chain are ASML, Gigaphoton Inc., Laser Components, Ophir Optronics, etc.

The main players in the midstream of the industry chain are EUV mask defect detection equipment manufacturers. At present, the EUV mask detection equipment market is basically monopolized by Lasertec and KLA.

The downstream of the industry chain is mainly scattered in IC Fab factories and mask factories. For example, Samsung, Intel, TSMC, DNP, Photronics, Toppan and Toppan.

EUV Mask Defect Inspection Equipment Core Raw Materials

The EUV Mask Defect Inspection Equipment upstream participants are mainly the manufacturers of raw materials. The core raw materials include EUV light source, CCD sensor, high NA objective lens, laser beam analyzer, motion control system, etc.

Midstream Analysis

The EUV mask inspection market is highly monopolized by Lasertec. ASML is the sole supplier of EUV (extreme ultraviolet) lithography systems, while Samsung Electronics and TSMC are competing fiercely in the field of ultra-fine processing equipment safety, with APMI (actinic pattern mask inspection) systems and mask manufacturing writers becoming the focus of this competition. These devices are indispensable key tools for chip manufacturing, and for chips with a process of less than 5 nanometers, they directly determine production efficiency and product quality.

The high-tech inspection system for EUV masks surpasses the current inspection system using ArF light sources with its high-precision and high-tightness inspection capabilities for complex structures. The system, the APMI system, can perform comprehensive inspections before and after the masks are put into production lines.

Compared with the traditional DUV (deep ultraviolet) light source inspection method, EUV light source has a higher sensitivity for product defect detection due to its shorter wavelength. Although DUV light still has a place in the current most advanced 5-nanometer process, Yutaro Misawa, General Manager, Corporate Planning Department of Lasertec, pointed out that with the further miniaturization of chip manufacturing technology, DUV may face the problem of insufficient sensitivity when entering the 2-nanometer process. Therefore, the demand for inspection equipment using EUV light source is expected to continue to grow.

Downstream Analysis

Mask/reticle suppliers are mainly divided into two categories: mask manufacturers and chip manufacturers. Currently, the companies that can provide EUV masks are mainly Photronics, Toppan, DNP and Hoya. Chip manufacturers often have their own mask production lines. For example, Intel mainly produces the masks it needs for itself. TSMC not only manufactures for customers, but also provides mask production.

About The Authors

Gao Jinjie – the main analyst of this article

Email: gaojinjie@qyresearch.com

Mr. Gao has 3 years of industry research experience and focuses on research in related fields of medical and consumer goods industry chains, including health products, medical services, medical drugs, etc. Some research topics include biomedical research, semiconductor industry, test robots, mechanical equipment, electronic components, etc.

About QYResearch

QYResearch founded in California, USA in 2007.It is a leading global market research and consulting company. With over 17 years’ experience and professional research team in various cities over the world QY Research focuses on management consulting, database and seminar services, IPO consulting (data is widely cited in prospectuses, annual reports and presentations), industry chain research and customized research to help our clients in providing non-linear revenue model and make them successful. We are globally recognized for our expansive portfolio of services, good corporate citizenship, and our strong commitment to sustainability. Up to now, we have cooperated with more than 60,000 clients across five continents. Let’s work closely with you and build a bold and better future.

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