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TSMC, Samsung to use ASML High NA EUV tools for AI chips
CNBC • • general
Key Points:
- Samsung and TSMC, the world's largest chipmakers, have committed to using ASML's High NA extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines to meet growing demand for advanced chips, with Samsung planning to adopt the technology by 2030.
- ASML's High NA EUV machines, costing around $400 million each, enable printing of smaller, more intricate circuit patterns essential for next-generation chip manufacturing, particularly for AI applications.
- Samsung will use the machines to produce DRAM from 2028, aiming to extend the DRAM scaling roadmap and improve efficiency, while TSMC expects increased use driven by complex transistor architectures required for AI.
- The commitments from Samsung and TSMC, alongside Intel's existing use of High NA technology, provide ASML with greater visibility on adoption and growth prospects, potentially influencing decisions on expanding EUV capacity beyond current targets.
- Samsung and TSMC will also collaborate with ASML on advancing 12-inch photomask technology, which promises enhanced productivity and reduced chipmaking costs compared to the existing 6-inch format.
