Intel Reportedly Orders Extra ASML High-NA EUV

According to recent reports, Intel has doubled its order of High-NA EUV (High Numerical Aperture Extreme Ultraviolet) lithography systems from ASML, raising the purchase from one unit to two. This move highlights Intel's determination to push forward with its 14A process, also known as the 1.4nm node.

As chip manufacturing advances toward smaller nodes, traditional EUV technology is nearing its physical limits. High-NA EUV is seen as the breakthrough tool to overcome these barriers. However, ASML's production capacity is extremely limited—only about five to six machines per year—each priced at roughly $370–380 million. Only a handful of companies with deep financial resources, including TSMC, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Intel, are in the position to secure them.

Intel's aggressive push is backed by fresh external funding. In 2025, NVIDIA invested $5 billion and SoftBank added $2 billion, giving Intel stronger cash flow and higher capital spending power to secure early High-NA EUV capacity.

The company is betting heavily on the 14A process, aiming to use High-NA EUV to improve precision and yield, making its manufacturing platform more attractive to customers. Yet, Intel's leadership has admitted that if the 14A node fails to win industry adoption, the company may be forced to retreat from the leading-edge race—a move that could seriously impact Intel Foundry Services.

While the addition of a second High-NA EUV machine strengthens Intel's position, questions remain about whether it can truly break through technical bottlenecks. Yield management, design tool maturity, and supply chain readiness will all play critical roles.

Intel engineers have reported encouraging progress. With the first two High-NA EUV systems, they are already producing around 30,000 wafers per quarter, each capable of yielding thousands of chips, suggesting that tool stability has made noticeable improvements.