Governor Hochul Announces NY Creates Begins Installation of the First Major Tool for High NA EUV Lithography Center at Albany Nanotech Complex

Arrival of Tokyo Electron's CLEAN TRACK™ LITHIUS Pro DICE™ Marks Milestone as New Center Prepares To Lead the Nation in the Future of Semiconductor Chip R&D

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the beginning of installation of Tokyo Electron's leading-edge 300mm wafer coater/developer system designed to support the next generation of semiconductor manufacturing at NY Creates' Albany NanoTech Complex. This tool, called the CLEAN TRACK™ LITHIUS Pro DICE™, applies and processes a light-sensitive layer on silicon wafers, which is the platform upon which computer chips are built. This allows researchers to fabricate the minute patterns needed for the next generation of advanced processors, memory, sensors and more. This is the first major piece of equipment to be delivered for the forthcoming High NA Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Lithography Center at Albany NanoTech, which will be North America's first and only publicly owned, accessible High NA EUV Lithography research site.

"New York State is leading the nation in semiconductor manufacturing and R&D, and the installation of this tool for the High NA EUV Lithography Center will allow New York to remain at the forefront of chip innovation," Governor Hochul said. "This announcement showcases the importance of public-private partnerships and how we can work together to deliver for New Yorkers and the nation, providing cutting-edge technology to support groundbreaking manufacturing right here in this state."

In the coming months, ASML's High NA EUV lithography system, arguably the most advanced machine ever created, will arrive in sections and be installed inside the new NanoFab Reflection (NFR) building. "First light," when the tool's EUV light is first turned on, is expected before the end of the year. This progress follows NFR's "topping-out" milestone, attended by Governor Hochul in December, when construction teams put in place the building's final steel beam.

Governor Hochul announced Creates' High NA EUV Lithography Center in December 2023, a $10 billion partnership which includes $9 billion in industry investment and $1 billion from Empire State Development, with leaders from the semiconductor industry such as IBM, Micron, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, and others. The initiative is establishing a next-generation semiconductor research and development center at Creates' Albany NanoTech Complex to support the R&D of the world's most complex and powerful semiconductors.

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "New York State has firmly established itself as a global hub of cutting-edge semiconductor research, anchored by world-class assets like the Albany NanoTech Complex and strengthened by unprecedented public-private partnerships. Through targeted, strategic investments, we are building a robust ecosystem that accelerates innovation, supports next-generation technologies, and attracts industry leaders. These efforts are not only advancing the future of chip R&D, but also creating high-quality jobs, expanding opportunity, and securing New York's leadership in this critical industry for decades to come."

Read the full press release here.