Is there any Intel hope? Semiconductor giant continues to invest in EUV exposure

Is there any Intel hope? Semiconductor giant continues to invest in EUV exposure equipment

As competition in the advanced semiconductor chip manufacturing industry intensifies, EUV lithography equipment is in the spotlight in the market, attracting great attention across the industry.

Currently, Intel is leading the way by purchasing ASML's High-NA EUV exposure equipment, and recently announced the completion of assembly. Samsung has also joined hands with Zeiss, ASML's supplier of EUV exposure parts, to step up efforts to deepen cooperation in the EUV sector. At the same time, rumors have been circulating about the delivery of ASML's second High-NA EUV lithography machine, but the buyer has not yet been revealed.

1. Samsung Electronics and Zeiss intensify EUV-related cooperation

According to a report by Korean journalist The Korea Herald, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong recently met with Karl Lamprecht, president and CEO of Zeiss, and other company executives in Germany.

At the meeting, the two companies agreed to expand cooperation in developing EUV technology and advanced semiconductor equipment to strengthen their competitiveness in the foundry and memory semiconductor sectors. Through this cooperation, Samsung aims to advance next-generation semiconductor technologies, optimize chip manufacturing processes, and improve the yield of advanced chips.

Zeiss also plans to invest 48 billion won to establish a research and development center in Korea by 2026 to strengthen strategic cooperation with Samsung and other Korean companies.

Zeiss, a developer of optical and optoelectronic solutions, is ASML's exclusive supplier of parts for EUV lithography machines, each of which contains more than 30,000 parts manufactured by Zeiss. Zeiss holds more than 2,000 key patents on EUV technology, and Zeiss' expertise can make a significant difference in the production of high-performance, advanced chips.

In the future, Samsung Electronics and Zeiss will further expand their cooperation in areas related to EUV technology and advanced semiconductor equipment.

2. ASML delivered a second High NA EUV lithography machine.

Recently, Intel announced that it has completed the installation of the ASML High NA EUV lithography machine and is now in the optical system calibration stage. It is the first High NA EUV lithography machine produced by ASML, with a maximum value of 350 million euros. Intel plans to use the equipment to produce advanced process chips under 1.8 nm.

In addition to Intel, companies such as TSMC, Samsung and Micron have also ordered High NA EUV exposure machines from ASML. ASML's financial report for the first quarter of the year showed orders for EUV lithography machines totalling 3.6 billion euros, including 656 million euros. ASML recently delivered a second batch of equipment without a buyer's disclosure.

The two High NAEUV lithography machines are not enough to meet the market demand for advanced process chips; therefore, ASML plans to produce more advanced lithography equipment in the future to meet the ever-growing market demand.