Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix reportedly ordered the next-generation semiconductor equipment ‘High NA’ extreme ultraviolet (EUV) equipment to ASML.
Like another manufacturer, the South Korean tech firm is now working on the equipment capable of realizing the 2-nano process.
According to the official statement announced by ASML “In the case of EUV high NA business, all EUV customers have placed orders for high NA products with additional orders for TWINSCAN EXE:5200 equipment.”
High NA EUV equipment is equipment that raises the lens numerical aperture (NA), which indicates the light-collecting ability, from 0.33 to 0.55. It can process finer semiconductor circuits than existing EUV equipment. It is a majority opinion of the industry that high NA equipment is essential for the 2-nanometer process.
Apart from the Korean company, Intel and TSMC also announced the introduction of high NA EUV equipment. This information is claimed by ASML via ETnews and in regards, and Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix said, “It is a matter that cannot be officially disclosed”.
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As all global semiconductor manufacturing companies place orders for ASML high NA EUV equipment, fierce competition is expected to unfold from 2025, when mass production begins. High NA EUV equipment is more expensive than currently used EUV equipment, but it can implement ultra-fine processes at once (single patterning), which can dramatically increase productivity. In the case of Samsung Electronics, it is necessary to preemptively secure highNA EUV equipment for 2-nano mass production after 3-nano mass production. Existing EUV equipment is estimated to cost 200 billion to 300 billion KRW, and high NA EUV equipment is estimated to reach 500 billion KRW.
Peter Wennink, CEO of ASML, said “Market uncertainty exists due to a number of global macroeconomic concerns, including inflation, consumer confidence index, and recession risks, however, overall demands for ASML system are very strong. As a result, in the third quarter, we recorded the largest quarterly reservation sales of about 8.9 billion EUR, including 3.8 billion EUR in EUV equipment sales such as high NA systems.”
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