South Korean company Samsung Electronics not only remains the largest memory manufacturer, but also does not abandon ambitions in the field of contract manufacturing of logic components. In order to keep up with progress, it plans to follow Intel by the end of this year to receive the ASML TwinScan EXE:5000 lithographic scanner, which allows working with a high numerical aperture (High-NA).
Image source: ASML
Intel is ASML’s largest customer in this area and is trying to buy up all such systems available for order this year, but Samsung’s intentions show that with some persistence, the Korean company can also get its first High-NA EUV lithographic system by the end of this year or in the first quarter of next year. Such equipment should allow Samsung not only to set up the production of chips using technologies “thinner” than 2 nm, but also to do it at a lower cost. However, the lithographic scanner itself costs at least $380 million, and it also takes up more space, so the introduction of such equipment will require not only high initial costs, but also a change in the approach to the layout of workshops.
Along the way, South Korean media they reportthat Samsung admitted that it has photomask inspection equipment from the Japanese brand Lasertec, which is adapted to High-NA EUV technology. If everything goes according to plan, Samsung will be able to launch the first prototypes of products on equipment of this class by the middle of next year. However, the company will master High-NA EUV technology in mass production closer to 2027.
Samsung, in collaboration with Synopsys, is also implementing a different “pattern” of semiconductor chip elements, which involves a transition from straight lines to curves. This will allow for denser structures to be created on chips and advance in the development of “thinner” technological processes. TSMC also expects to receive its first High-NA EUV lithographic scanner from ASML by the end of the year, but plans to implement such equipment in mass production of chips using A14 technology no earlier than 2028.
If you notice an error, select it with your mouse and press CTRL+ENTER.
