Samsung takes delivery of first high-NA EUV system

An ASML EXE:5000 high-NA EUV pre-production system has been delivered to Samsung’s Hwaseong Campus, according to Korean media outlet FN News. Following Intel and TSMC, the memory manufacturer and foundry is the third chipmaker to have a high-NA tool of its own installed. Process development has likely been going on for about a year, however, as all of ASML’s EUV customers gained access to a shared system located at the ASML-Imec High-NA Lab in Veldhoven.

Samsung hasn’t yet made public when it intends to introduce high-NA in mass production. This will require EXE:5200 production tools, the first of which will soon start shipping. However, it’s extremely likely that Intel, not Samsung, will receive the first set of production systems, as the US chipmaker plans to start high-NA manufacturing in the late 2026-early 2027 timeframe. ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet recently explained that preparations for high-volume production typically take 12-18 months.