Gigaphoton launches neon recycling for ArF lasers with claimed 50% recovery
The system extends neon recycling to ArF excimer lasers, aiming to cut gas use and ease pressure on a supply chain made more fragile by the war in Ukraine.
Gigaphoton says its new hTGM neon recycling system for ArF excimer lasers has reached a 50% recovery rate, a development that could lower neon costs for chipmakers and reduce exposure to fragile supply chains. The company says a single ArF unit using hTGM can cut neon use by up to 470 kilotres per year, and it is extending recycling beyond its earlier KrF laser offering. The timing matters because neon remains a key input for DUV lithography, even after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted a supply chain that had relied heavily on Ukrainian exports. Gigaphoton is not alone in this space: Kanken Techno showed a recycling system at SemiCon Taiwan in September with more than 90% efficiency, while Cymer had already demonstrated 50% recovery in 2015.
Why it matters
For chipmakers using ArF excimer lasers, the change is that neon recycling is no longer limited to Gigaphoton’s KrF line. That could reduce dependence on fresh neon at a time when supply risk remains a concern, while also putting Gigaphoton into a field where other companies have already shown similar or higher recovery results.
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Sources
- Tom's Hardware