The ASML logo is seen at the headquarters in Veldhoven, Netherlands June 16, 2023. Photo: The ASML logo is seen at the headquarters in Veldhoven, Netherlands June 16, 2023. Photo: Reuters
- - Each EUV lithography system costs over US$100 million, with TSMC's share of global installations growing from 50% to 56% between 2020 and 2023.
- - TSMC is taking a measured approach towards adopting high-NA EUV systems, carefully evaluating new technological innovations based on maturity, cost, and potential benefits to customers.
- - TSMC operated about 10 EUV systems when it launched the industry's first commercial EUV lithography process in 2019, with subsequent processes like N5 and N3 continuing to leverage EUV technology.
The company highlighted that, as revealed at its 2024 Technology Symposium earlier this year, the number of EUV systems in its operations had grown tenfold by 2023 compared to 2019, now representing 56 per cent of the global EUV installation base.
Industry sources estimate that, based on TSMC's acquisition of 84 EUV systems in 2022 and more than 100 in 2023, the company likely operated about 10 EUV systems when it successfully launched the industry's first commercial EUV lithography process in 2019 - specifically for the second version of its 7nm technology, N7+.
TSMC's N7+ process was the first to utilise EUV lithography, and subsequent processes like N5 and N3 continue to leverage EUV technology.
Beyond TSMC's N7+, N5, and N3 processes, Samsung Foundry has also implemented EUV technology for its 7LPP, 5nm, and 3nm GAA processes, while additionally incorporating EUV into its DRAM production.
TSMC extends dominance of semiconductors with 56% share of global lithography systems
Each low-numerical aperture (NA) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system costs over US$100 million, making it one of the most expensive semiconductor manufacturing tools in history. This raises a key question: How many of these advanced EUV systems does Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing...