Canon is developing Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL) as a disruptive alternative to ASML's dominant EUV lithography, offering comparable 2nm-node capabilities by 2027 at a fraction of the cost and energy consumption. The 2027 commercialization of Inkjet-based Adaptive Planarization (IAP) is a key catalyst, with memory manufacturers (Kioxia, SK Hynix) already evaluating the technology as a lower-risk entry point before logic adoption.