Samsung and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) committed to purchasing ASML's High NA extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, joining Intel in betting on the technology for next-generation chip production.
Each High NA machine costs approximately $400 million. Samsung plans to deploy the tools for DRAM memory production starting in 2028, with full adoption by 2030. TSMC will use the machines for advanced logic chip manufacturing, with deployment driven by the growing complexity of artificial intelligence processor designs.
Intel confirmed its adoption of the technology in July. The three commitments establish meaningful demand signals for ASML, which has faced questions about whether chipmakers would actually purchase the machines at scale once available.
ASML shares traded flat to slightly lower Tuesday in Amsterdam despite rising 120 percent over the past year.
Barclays analysts said Tuesday the announcements provide visibility on technology adoption, a key concern for ASML's near-term planning. The firm noted that demand appears strong enough to pressure ASML on whether to expand EUV production capacity beyond current targets.
ASML previously stated that High NA EUV would add approximately 30 percent to total EUV capacity by 2027 but has not issued specific sales forecasts for the machines.
The three chipmakers and ASML are also jointly advancing next-generation 12-inch photomask technology, an upgrade from the current 6-inch standard. Photomasks function as stencils for printing circuit patterns onto silicon wafers. The larger masks offer improved productivity and lower manufacturing costs, with potential to boost machine output by 40 percent, ASML said.
