[News] Samsung Reportedly Revises High-NA EUV Plans: Limited Memory Use, Foundry Begins at 1.4nm

According to South Korean media outlet The Bell, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are reportedly delaying the adoption of ASML’s high-NA EUV lithography equipment in their DRAM production, citing the steep cost of the tools and upcoming shifts in DRAM architecture.

3D DRAM Architecture Won’t Require EUV Processes

The report states that memory companies are taking a cautious approach to adopting high-NA EUV technology, largely due to their long-term DRAM roadmaps. According to plans from Samsung and SK hynix, DRAM architecture is set to evolve in stages—from 6F² to 4F², and eventually to 3D DRAM, as the report indicates.

The upcoming 4F² DRAM, slated for late-2020s mass production, will require EUV processing and is expected to adopt high-NA EUV tools, the report notes.

However, 3D DRAM lithography does not require either high-NA or low-NA EUV equipment, as the report highlights. Unlike traditional DRAM, 3D DRAM increases transistor density through vertical stacking, allowing ArF lithography and eliminating the need for EUV.

Therefore, despite investing in cutting-edge high-NA EUV tools—each costing more than KRW 500 billion (around USD 370 million)—the window for deploying them in advanced DRAM production may be relatively short, as the report points out.

High-NA EUV Adoption Begins with Foundry R&D

The report notes that high-NA EUV tools are expected to see initial deployment in foundry processes, though mass production adoption will take time. As highlighted in the report, ASML anticipates adoption in volume manufacturing to begin only after 2027.

At present, Intel, TSMC, and Samsung—the three leading foundries—have each received high-NA EUV systems from ASML. However, as the report points out, these units are currently being used for research and development (R&D), not for mass production.

As noted by the report, Samsung is evaluating the use of high-NA EUV tools for its 1.4nm foundry process and is actively developing the corresponding manufacturing technologies. The company is targeting mass production of the 1.4nm node in 2027.

Meanwhile, according to Wccftech, TSMC might delay its adoption of High-NA EUV, with the company expected to bypass the tool for its A14 process, a move revealed by its Senior Vice President Kevin Zhang. Still, the report highlights that TSMC has not ruled out using High-NA EUV, with plans to adopt the technology for its A14P node.

Read more

• [News] TSMC Reported to Skip High-NA EUV for A14, Giving Intel an Advantage
• [News] Samsung Reportedly Nears Securing Major 2nm Orders from NVIDIA, Qualcomm as Yields Improve

(Photo credit: Samsung)