180 nm fabs are getting to the point where replacing machines is prohibitively expensive and spare parts have to be custom made.
Do you have a reference for that? I'm not sure why it would be true.
180nm lines have many other advantages, like better transistor gain for analog, lower leakage, more advanced device types and BCD. Some 180nm lines can also do MEMS. Maybe a couple of foundries are struggling but I would've thought 180nm was still going pretty strong.
It’s just a cost-curve thing - older nodes eventually hit the other end of the bathtub curve where keeping the fab running gets more and more expensive while newer nodes are still cheap.
ASML it still announcing DUV systems on their product page. I would think this would mean they would be very happy to sell you a new one. https://www.asml.com/en/products/duv-lithography-systems
And machine revitalization and refurbishment is an important selling point for this kind of capital equipment.
https://www.asml.com/en/news/stories/2023/revitalization-thr...
"Did you know that approximately 95% of ASML lithography systems sold in the past 30 years are still active in the field? As of the end of 2022, more than 5,000 of our machines are hard at work in chipmaking fabs globally – a feat made possible by the fact that our systems can be repaired, refurbished and repurposed throughout their life cycles. It’s all part of our commitment to supporting a circular economy in the semiconductor industry that reduces waste, adds value and lessens environmental impact."
"Currently there’s a growing market in the semiconductor industry for mature DUV technology solutions. Refurbished systems provide cost-effective options for chipmakers looking to scale up in that area."
Sooner rather than later it'll be cheaper to buy a TwinScan system than to fix a PAS5500/750, but at that point why would the fab keep making 180nm chips when they can make more money making 45nm chips with the same system? Last I checked, some critical parts already had 1+ year lead times because they had to be made to order so fabs have to keep their own stock.
Edit: Sorry I misused "EOL" in a previous comment. They're still being supported my ASML, but you can't buy a new machine so expanding a fab means upgrading the node.
That's way more than typical microcontrollers in embedded uses even today -- 24 or 48 MHz is very common for e.g. Cortex M0+ and you seldom find over 180 MHz for Cortex M3/M4. Those (or competitors) make up the vast bulk of the market.
That 320 MHz is with automated placement and routing with a standard cell library. Back when 180nm was new both Intel (Pentium III) and Motorola (G4) were getting 1 GHz or a bit more out of it with a lot of engineers using a much more manual process.
