EUV chip production will soon reach record levels of energy consumption

[Alfonso Maruccia]

In a nutshell: Extreme ultraviolet lithography is one of the most complex technological innovations in recent years. EUV machines are essential for producing smaller, more powerful microchips, but they consume massive amounts of power. Worse yet, their thirst for electricity is only expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

According to a recent TechInsights report, fabs equipped with EUV tools could see electricity consumption exceed 54,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) annually by 2030. Put into perspective, that's more than the total power usage of smaller nations like Singapore or Greece.

Dutch company ASML is currently the world's only manufacturer of EUV tools, which require substantial investment and effort to integrate into chipmaking operations. Fabs using EUV systems for high-volume manufacturing can be found in countries such as Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, the US, Germany, and Ireland.

Current-generation EUV tools consume up to 1,170 kilowatts, while next-generation High NA EUV scanners are expected to reach power consumption levels of around 1,400 kilowatts.

TechInsights currently lists 31 fabs employing EUV machines for their chipmaking operations, with an additional 28 expected to come online by the end of 2030.

While EUV tools consume a significant amount of electricity, they account for only about 11 percent of the total energy consumption of an entire chip fab. By 2030, the 59 chipmaking plants equipped with EUV capabilities are projected to consume a staggering 54,000 gigawatts annually, which is 19 times the electricity needed to power the Las Vegas Strip.

As foundry businesses around the world rapidly adopt EUV machines, TechInsights warns that this trend will have significant environmental implications.

The report also offers potentially useful advice to chipmaking giants, who will soon face a crossroads between continued innovation and substantial energy implications. The industry should invest more heavily in energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy sources, the report notes. Although reopening long-closed nuclear plants may not seem like the most environmentally friendly option, the debate on this issue continues.

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EUV chip production will soon reach record levels of energy consumption

 

[ScottSoapbox]

But the EUV machines create more power efficient chips for millions of computers so they are actually good for the environment when you think strategically about it.

 

[Alfonso Maruccia]

*

 

[Mr Majestyk]

But the EUV machines create more power efficient chips for millions of computers so they are actually good for the environment when you think strategically about it.

LOL, that's right up there with "you have to spend money to save money".

 

[kiwigraeme]

But the EUV machines create more power efficient chips for millions of computers so they are actually good for the environment when you think strategically about it.

I own a 1996 Toyota Corolla,general consensus is replace it with an EV. Yet is still best IMHO to keep it as my mileage per year is low ( ie go to gym on my Ebike , try and minimize trips per week etc for this reason ( not for $ saving )

Same for Nuclear power, long term is good for less carbon if build new ones, but in short term a huge huge carbon cost - eg sheer amount of cement

Plus no good if we just get more powerful PCs so overall energy is same even if standby is less

Seen people arguing towels you wash are best for drying hands , but that's silly an air hand dryer must be better as no need to transport, wash, dry , water , detergent etc
Same as buy local, yet something shipped around the world may have less of a carbon foot print eg grass fed meat/milk vs grain fed meat/milk

But like advice for brown and lack bears maybe simple is best. I look at current fleet of cars on road in NZ - more of them ( both parents have one ) , much more efficient , less noise, less pollution from exhausts for the ICE cars .
I know many here hate it but The EU and California setting future stds for cars, consumer devices is a very good thing,
Good think is green energy is quickly going up

Also complicated is if people stay at home and game, not travelling about ,yet they could be cooling or heating their home. IE which is more green 100 000 people at a local stadium or everyone home using power?
Ultimately more and better tech means less population IMHO - as less need of children for financial security and immigration to fill jobs , AI robots can do , eg cleaning , looking after elderly, picking crops. Plus higher education especially for women ( financial security and woman's education have good correlation with smaller families )

 

[Fastturtle]

I own a 1996 Toyota Corolla,general consensus is replace it with an EV. Yet is still best IMHO to keep it as my mileage per year is low ( ie go to gym on my Ebike , try and minimize trips per week etc for this reason ( not for $ saving )

Same for Nuclear power, long term is good for less carbon if build new ones, but in short term a huge huge carbon cost - eg sheer amount of cement

Plus no good if we just get more powerful PCs so overall energy is same even if standby is less

Seen people arguing towels you wash are best for drying hands , but that's silly an air hand dryer must be better as no need to transport, wash, dry , water , detergent etc
Same as buy local, yet something shipped around the world may have less of a carbon foot print eg grass fed meat/milk vs grain fed meat/milk

But like advice for brown and lack bears maybe simple is best. I look at current fleet of cars on road in NZ - more of them ( both parents have one ) , much more efficient , less noise, less pollution from exhausts for the ICE cars .
I know many here hate it but The EU and California setting future stds for cars, consumer devices is a very good thing,
Good think is green energy is quickly going up

Also complicated is if people stay at home and game, not travelling about ,yet they could be cooling or heating their home. IE which is more green 100 000 people at a local stadium or everyone home using power?
Ultimately more and better tech means less population IMHO - as less need of children for financial security and immigration to fill jobs , AI robots can do , eg cleaning , looking after elderly, picking crops. Plus higher education especially for women ( financial security and woman's education have good correlation with smaller families )

Except that Air Dryer spreads what ever germs all over the room that were on you hands so it's more likely to make everyone sick. Paper Towels are better as they can be composted
As to why buy local instead of Amazon? Keeps local stores open and folks employed. I don't like to wait at times for things and a local shop that has what I want is likely to get my business.
The Grass/Grain Fed argument is null. Most of the cattle that are grass fed tend to have fewer hormones and antibiotics they also tend to be smaller/lighter then grain fed while tasting a lot better. I'm lucky in that my local butcher has a supplier of Dexter Beef - small cows about the size of a Great Dane. Tastes great and price is comparable to the big feed lot beef without all of the antibiotics and such.
On the everyone home or at the stadium, the stadium is only going to be a few hours and you have the pollution from all the cars/trucks and ICE in the parking lot. I'll take staying home and gaming/vid conferencing and such since my how doesn't use A/C even though I'm in the desert. I use an Evap Cooler during the summer and am actually healthier due to that since it adds needed moisture to our desert air. Works great when humidity is >10 and I've seen days with >5 here and the cooler can actually get temps down below 80 inside when it's 120 outside (That's Farenheit not Metric).

 

[kiwigraeme]

Except that Air Dryer spreads what ever germs all over the room that were on you hands so it's more likely to make everyone sick. Paper Towels are better as they can be composted
As to why buy local instead of Amazon? Keeps local stores open and folks employed. I don't like to wait at times for things and a local shop that has what I want is likely to get my business.
The Grass/Grain Fed argument is null. Most of the cattle that are grass fed tend to have fewer hormones and antibiotics they also tend to be smaller/lighter then grain fed while tasting a lot better. I'm lucky in that my local butcher has a supplier of Dexter Beef - small cows about the size of a Great Dane. Tastes great and price is comparable to the big feed lot beef without all of the antibiotics and such.
On the everyone home or at the stadium, the stadium is only going to be a few hours and you have the pollution from all the cars/trucks and ICE in the parking lot. I'll take staying home and gaming/vid conferencing and such since my how doesn't use A/C even though I'm in the desert. I use an Evap Cooler during the summer and am actually healthier due to that since it adds needed moisture to our desert air. Works great when humidity is >10 and I've seen days with >5 here and the cooler can actually get temps down below 80 inside when it's 120 outside (That's Farenheit not Metric).

All home, towels will be best as normally space in washing. paper towels if not bleached or user steam ( ie brown ) probably fine , will go to landfill but harmless enough
Putting seat down, blower, keeping toothbrush in another room - think kind of overblown given all other sources , Stadium in most countries probably more energy , but local community events probably good, especially in high density cities where people walk or public transport .

My main point is very hard to do these calculations. Plus sometimes need to do the worse best option - one of my arguments against Greenpeace, don't do this , don't do that.
Yes well design products that an be reused , repurposed, recycled, restraint etc is better , but we have a here and now

A lot of carbon credit calcs are not the accurate , and will change over time

 

[ScottSoapbox]

LOL, that's right up there with "you have to spend money to save money".

That's literally what businesses do every time they buy new equipment.

They are spending money to save money on labor and/or a less efficient machine.
(e.g., a bulldozer is cheaper than 10,000 man-hours with shovels, and a laptop is cheaper than paying office workers to use pencil and paper).

 

[HansSchulze]

Note that research and fine tuning is needed to reduce the number of mirrors, which reduces the number of times you lose 30% of the EUV. See Asianometry YouTube about that.