Samsung will Import ASML High NA EUV lithography machine 2025.

According to reports, Samsung Electronics is preparing to Import its first High NA EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) lithography equipment in early 2025, marking a significant advancement for the South Korean tech giant in the field of advanced semiconductor manufacturing. This cutting-edge technology, exclusively provided by Netherlands ASML, is crucial for processes below 2nm. South Korean industry observers anticipate that Samsung will accelerate the development of its 1nm chip commercialization.

Each High NA EUV lithography machine is priced at approximately $350 million (about 2.5 billion yuan), significantly higher than ASML’s standard EUV series, which ranges from $180 million to $200 million. The High NA system boasts a resolution of 8nm and a transistor density triple times that of the Low NA system, thus offering immense value.

According to relevant reports， Indicate that Samsung’s first High NA EUV equipment—the ASML EXE:5000 model—is expected to hit the market in early 2025. Given the complexity of semiconductor equipment installation, which often involves lengthy testing phases, the EXE:5000 is projected to become operational in the second quarter of 2025.

High NA EUV technology surpasses existing EUV systems by enabling the creation of finer circuit designs, making it suitable for chips operating below 5nm, such as CPUs and GPUs, which are system semiconductors. While standard EUV is effective for 5nm and below processes, High NA EUV can further achieve circuit dimensions below 2nm, thereby enhancing performance and reducing the number of exposures, which in turn lowers production costs. The latest research conducted by Belgium’s Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) in collaboration with ASML shows that a single High NA EUV exposure can produce complete logic and memory circuits.

This development signifies Samsung’s first foray into High NA EUV technology. Previously, the company had collaborated with IMEC on circuit processing research. Samsung plans to use its own equipment to accelerate the development of advanced nodes and has set a goal to commercialize a 1.4nm process by 2027, potentially paving the way for 1nm production.

Globally, competition among semiconductor giants such as TSMC, Intel, and Samsung is Competition heats up as they vie to secure High NA EUV equipment for processes below 2nm. Intel was the first to obtain the equipment in December 2023, followed by TSMC in the third quarter of 2024. Although Samsung’s order came later, achieving stable production could be the key to determining industry leadership.

Samsung plans to use the High NA EUV equipment it will receive in early 2025 for research purposes and intends to Import dedicated mass production equipment shortly thereafter. In a meeting with ASML in the third quarter of 2024, Samsung indicated that it would reconsider the number of High NA EUV equipment units it plans to purchase, which could reduce its initial order by two units. The company initially planned to Import the EXE:5000 in the fourth quarter of 2024, with follow-up models EXE:5200, EXE:5400, and EXE:5600 to be Imported over the next decade.