TSMC backs ASML’s plan for bigger masks so its newest machines can print AI’s biggest chips

ASML will double photomask size from 6 inches to 12 inches so its High-NA EUV tools can expose the ~800 mm2 AI processors in a single shot, eliminating stitching seams and boosting throughput by about 40%. TSMC has joined the initiative, planning High-NA production on 6-inch masks from 2030, a pilot 12-inch mask line in 2031, and full-node deployment by 2033.