Nikkei Asia's sources say that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC), the largest semiconductor fab in the world, is set to receive the ASML’s most advanced chipmaking machine this year. The high numerical aperture extreme ultraviolet (High NA EUV) machine, which is said to cost more than $350 million apiece, will allow chip makers to print features smaller than before. Nikkei Asia reports that TSMC is considering using its High NA EUV lithography machines to make processors that use angstrom 10 (A10) technology, about two generations ahead of the 2nm node that it plans to put into production by the end of next year. This means that we likely won’t see this machine used for mass production until after 2030.
Although TSMC is the biggest semiconductor manufacturer globally, it’s not the first company to get ASML’s latest, most advanced machine. Intel was the first to adopt the machines, having received the very first High NA EUV machine in the first quarter of 2024 at its Oregon facility. It also received a second machine during the second quarter of this year — a testament to the company's focus on regaining its technological edge over the competition, especially in AI chip manufacturing. Sources also say that Samsung will install its own High NA EUV machine sometime between today and the 1Q25.
