Samsung Electronics is expected to receive its first high-numerical-aperture (high-NA) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography scanner, the Twinscan EXE:5200B, later this year, with a second unit scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2026, according to The Korea Economic Daily. While the company already operates a research-use high-NA EUV tool at its Hwaseong campus, these will be its first systems intended for commercial-scale semiconductor manufacturing.
The high-NA EUV systems are expected to be deployed for Samsung’s 2nm foundry production, which will include chips such as the Exynos 2600 application processor and Tesla’s upcoming AI processors. The tools will also support the development of vertical channel transistor (VCT) DRAM, a high-performance, low-power memory technology that Samsung aims to bring into mass production around 2027.
Samsung is investing 1.1 trillion won (USD 773 million) in the two high-NA EUV machines. The new systems offer a numerical aperture of 0.55, up from the 0.33 of current EUV tools, enabling circuit patterning at approximately 1.7 times finer resolution. This advancement is expected to improve chip density and performance in next-generation nodes.
Rival chipmaker TSMC is currently testing research versions of the high-NA EUV system but has not yet deployed them for mass production. According to The JoongAng, TSMC plans to continue using its existing EUV tools through the 2nm node and begin incorporating high-NA EUV systems starting with its 1.4nm process.
SK hynix has also confirmed an order for a production-grade high-NA EUV system, according to the same report. Meanwhile, Intel is expanding its order from ASML to two high-NA EUV units, up from one, as reported by Wccftech. Intel is expected to use the tools for its 14A process, with risk production planned for 2027 and high-volume manufacturing targeted for 2028, according to BITS & CHIPS.
The deployment of high-NA EUV tools marks a significant step in the semiconductor industry’s transition to sub-2nm nodes, with leading foundries and memory manufacturers aligning their roadmaps to integrate the advanced lithography systems into future production lines. |
