TSMC joins the elite club of chipmakers acquiring ASML's $350 million High NA EUV lithography system, positioning itself for next-generation semiconductor manufacturing. The advanced technology promises to pack nearly triple the transistors into chips, paving the way for TSMC's ambitious 1.4nm process development by 2027.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC) is set to acquire ASML's latest High NA EUV lithography system by the end of 2024, marking a move forward for the semiconductor industry. The machine, known as the Twinscan EXE:5000, comes with a hefty price tag of around $350 million and is packed with cutting-edge technology for making chips.
This advanced system boasts an impressive 8nm resolution and uses a 13.5nm EUV light wavelength, letting chipmakers produce smaller chips and cram in up to 2.9 times more transistors than before. TSMC has plans to use this tech for its upcoming 1.4nm (A14) process, with hopes of getting it into mass production by 2027.
Intel's already jumped in as the first to adopt High NA EUV, installing two machines at its Oregon plant earlier in 2024. Samsung is expected to join the party soon, likely by early 2025. As of now, Intel, Samsung, and TSMC are the only companies confirmed to have access to ASML's advanced tech, mainly because international trade rules restrict Chinese firms from getting their hands on it.
Even though ASML has reported 10-20 orders for these machines, bringing them online isn't exactly straightforward. Their sheer size means that manufacturers need to either upgrade their facilities significantly or even build new ones. Plus, these machines have a smaller imaging field than current NA EUV systems, meaning chip architectures need to be redesigned.
TSMC's investment in High NA EUV shows its commitment to staying ahead in advanced chip production, especially as the market for AI chips continues to grow. While it'll be a few years before mass production with this technology really kicks in, it's still a step toward the next generation of semiconductor manufacturing.