Samsung Introduces High NA EUV to Boost Competitiveness in the 2nm Market

Samsung Electronics has reportedly introduced the next-generation semiconductor lithography equipment, High Numerical Aperture (NA) Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine (High NA EUV)—EXE:5000—at its Hwaseong facility in South Korea in early March. High NA EUV is essential for manufacturing ultra-fine circuits below 2nm, signaling Samsung’s effort to enhance its sub-2nm process technology.

The report highlights that this advanced equipment comes with a hefty price tag of 500 billion KRW (approximately 2.501 billion RMB) and is exclusively supplied by ASML, making it one of the most sought-after tools in the semiconductor industry.

Since last year, Samsung has been evaluating the application of High NA EUV in its manufacturing process and reportedly plans to use it for its next-generation semiconductor nodes below 2nm.

High NA EUV is considered a critical enabler for advanced sub-2nm foundry processes. Leading semiconductor companies worldwide are racing to adopt this cutting-edge technology. Intel has already signed a contract to purchase six of these machines, with the first one delivered in 2023. Meanwhile, TSMC has recently introduced the equipment into its production line to accelerate the adoption of its 2nm process technology.

According to TrendForce, TSMC's global foundry market share in Q4 2023 reached 67.1%, up 2.4 percentage points from Q3 2023. In contrast, Samsung has struggled in the market, with its share dropping 1 percentage point from 9.1% to 8.1% during the same period.