ASML: Over 50 EUV units will be produced this year

According to TheElec, ASML recently pointed out at the "2022 Semiconductor EUV Ecosystem Global Conference" that it is expected that the number of EUV production units will exceed 50 this year.

In 2019, the number of EUV equipment produced by ASML was 22, and now it has increased to 42 in 2021. ASML expressed confidence that it will exceed 50 units this year, and the number of production units will increase further next year.

One of the most concerned issues in the semiconductor industry is the timing of the introduction of High-NAEUV equipment. ASML revealed that the initial version of the High-NA EUV equipment will be launched by the end of next year, and the mass production model will be launched in late 2024 or early 2025.

According to etnews, ASML's financial report stated that in the High-NA EUV business, the company received additional orders for TWINSCAN EXE:5200, and all current EUV customers have placed orders for the next-generation semiconductor equipment "High-NA", which includes Samsung and SK Hynix.

Competition for state-of-the-art processes is expected to intensify. Following TSMC and Intel, South Korean semiconductor manufacturers are also preparing to introduce equipment capable of implementing a 2nm process. If you look at technology alone, Samsung is only half a year behind TSMC. However, according to market statistics, Samsung's share in the global chip foundry market is only one-third of TSMC.

The High-NA EUV device is a device that increases the lens numerical aperture (NA) of the light-gathering capability from 0.33 to 0.55. Process finer semiconductor circuits than existing EUV equipment. Most people in the industry believe that High-NA devices are crucial to the 2nm process.

It is speculated that the unit price of the High-NA EUV lithography machine is 500 billion won, which is twice that of the existing EUV lithography machine. Industry insiders pointed out that if Samsung Electronics purchases 10 High-NA EUV lithography machines, it will cost more than 5 trillion won. In order to improve Korea's national industrial competitiveness, it is necessary to expand government support.