Intel splashes more cash on ASML’s magic machines

[Daniel Nenni]

Chipzilla bets the farm on 14A while chasing TSMC
Troubled Chipzilla is doubling down on ASML’s obscenely expensive High-NA EUV lithography kit, ordering two more of the €350 million-plus contraptions in the hope of dragging its much-hyped 14A process over the line.

Intel has one of the machines installed and is parading 14A as the historic moment it finally ships a leading-edge node on time. Given Chipzilla’s history of slipping roadmaps, renaming old nodes, and generally disappointing investors, most of the industry is taking that claim with a shovel of salt.

The High-NA toys are crucial to Intel’s so-called IDM 2.0 strategy, which is supposed to claw back ground lost to TSMC and Samsung. Without them, the 14A node risks being dead on arrival.

For ASML, it’s all gravy. Intel hoovered up every available High-NA slot in 2024 and is now poised to become the biggest customer for the kit worldwide. Each machine is a warehouse-sized monstrosity of lenses, mirrors and Dutch engineering, and ASML can’t build them fast enough. Every sale is a license to print money.

Chipzilla insists it is on track to get 14A into production and shipping before TSMC can ramp its equivalent nodes, but sceptics point out that Intel has promised this sort of comeback before and ended up years behind. Even if the machinery works flawlessly, ramping yields to competitive levels is another headache entirely.

Intel splashes more cash on ASML’s magic machines

Chipzilla bets the farm on 14A while chasing TSMC Troubled Chipzilla is doubling down on ASML’s obscenely expensive High-NA EUV lithography kit, ordering two more of the €350 million-plus contraptions in the hope of dragging its much-hyped 14A process over the line. Intel has one of the machines...

www.fudzilla.com

 

[Erik F]

Lip Bu said no 14A without customers. Does that mean there are customers?

 

[Daniel Nenni]

Last I heard Intel had two NXE:5000 HNA-EUV systems installed in the OR R&D center. Does anyone know different? I believe ASML has shipped 6 development systems in total thus far? Does anyone know how many EXE:5200 systems they will ship in 2026? From what I was told NXE:5000 HNA-EUV systems are pre production systems.

I know TSMC and Samsung both have one but I do not see them using HNA-EUV in HVM before 2030. It is not just the cost, it is scaling it for TSMC's definition of HVM, which is different than Samsung and Intel Foundry.

When will the memory makers have HNA-EUV in production?

 

[Daniel Nenni]

Lip Bu said no 14A without customers. Does that mean there are customers?

That is not what he said.

“Going forward, our investment in Intel 14A will be based on confirmed customer commitments.”

Meaning that Intel will build 14A fabs based on customer demand, like TSMC does. Intel and Samsung used to build fabs based on the field of dreams concept, build it and they will come.

 

[MKWVentures]

Chipzilla bets the farm on 14A while chasing TSMC
Troubled Chipzilla is doubling down on ASML’s obscenely expensive High-NA EUV lithography kit, ordering two more of the €350 million-plus contraptions in the hope of dragging its much-hyped 14A process over the line.

Intel has one of the machines installed and is parading 14A as the historic moment it finally ships a leading-edge node on time. Given Chipzilla’s history of slipping roadmaps, renaming old nodes, and generally disappointing investors, most of the industry is taking that claim with a shovel of salt.
The High-NA toys are crucial to Intel’s so-called IDM 2.0 strategy, which is supposed to claw back ground lost to TSMC and Samsung. Without them, the 14A node risks being dead on arrival.

When did they say the order was for? I heard 2027?

 

[Daniel Nenni]

This is a crap article by the way but interesting topic. Is that they way Fudzilla normally writes? Professional journalism is dead.

Intel said 14A will ship in 2027 at the last event. That is the last I heard. Yesterday TSMC said A14 would ship in 2028. TSMC is very competitive so maybe that will move up. This is why we need Intel Foundry, competition pushes innovation.

 

[Fred Chen]

When will the memory makers have HNA-EUV in production?

3D DRAM by 2030 is the stated plan.

 

[hist78]

When did they say the order was for? I heard 2027?

Chipzilla bets the farm on 14A while chasing TSMC
Troubled Chipzilla is doubling down on ASML’s obscenely expensive High-NA EUV lithography kit, ordering two more of the €350 million-plus contraptions in the hope of dragging its much-hyped 14A process over the line.

Intel has one of the machines installed and is parading 14A as the historic moment it finally ships a leading-edge node on time. Given Chipzilla’s history of slipping roadmaps, renaming old nodes, and generally disappointing investors, most of the industry is taking that claim with a shovel of salt.

The High-NA toys are crucial to Intel’s so-called IDM 2.0 strategy, which is supposed to claw back ground lost to TSMC and Samsung. Without them, the 14A node risks being dead on arrival.

For ASML, it’s all gravy. Intel hoovered up every available High-NA slot in 2024 and is now poised to become the biggest customer for the kit worldwide. Each machine is a warehouse-sized monstrosity of lenses, mirrors and Dutch engineering, and ASML can’t build them fast enough. Every sale is a license to print money.

Chipzilla insists it is on track to get 14A into production and shipping before TSMC can ramp its equivalent nodes, but sceptics point out that Intel has promised this sort of comeback before and ended up years behind. Even if the machinery works flawlessly, ramping yields to competitive levels is another headache entirely.

Intel splashes more cash on ASML’s magic machines

Chipzilla bets the farm on 14A while chasing TSMC Troubled Chipzilla is doubling down on ASML’s obscenely expensive High-NA EUV lithography kit, ordering two more of the €350 million-plus contraptions in the hope of dragging its much-hyped 14A process over the line. Intel has one of the machines...

www.fudzilla.com

This unverified ‘report’ first appeared on Twitter/X on September 23, 2025, under the account ‘Jerry Capital.’ I can’t find any additional information about that account. There is an industrial/manufacturing/investment group in Shandong, China with a similar name, but I think it’s unlikely to be the same entity as the Twitter/X account.

From ChatGPT search about "Jerry Capital"

"Many market commentators use consistent pseudonymous handles (to preserve privacy, avoid regulatory scrutiny, or remain independent). High-visibility handles often leave trails (other social accounts, bios, old tweets) — but @JerryCap appears intentionally to have kept that trail thin."

 

[hist78]

Professional journalism is dead.

Professional journalism is still alive, but it’s often overshadowed by the huge number of low quality websites, some of which operate with bad intentions.

 

[ReganJ]

This is a crap article by the way but interesting topic. Is that they way Fudzilla normally writes? Professional journalism is dead.

Intel said 14A will ship in 2027 at the last event. That is the last I heard. Yesterday TSMC said A14 would ship in 2028. TSMC is very competitive so maybe that will move up. This is why we need Intel Foundry, competition pushes innovation.

was thinking the same as i read it, so absurd cant believe anyone can take themselves seriously writing stuff like that!
I dont know if more HiNA necessarily implies anything about 14A since it seems intel figured out how to do 18A layers w/ HiNA. I feel like i remember reading here a few months ago that they had figured out how to save multipatterning passes by using HiNA for specific layers

Could be that they see it as long term for 14a short term helping ramp 18a faster. Thatd mean significantly less MA time needed etc if 18a is expected to have lifetime thru 2031/32 as long as HiNA starts to be usable within the next year

 

[Fred Chen]

Last I heard Intel had two NXE:5000 HNA-EUV systems installed in the OR R&D center. Does anyone know different? I believe ASML has shipped 6 development systems in total thus far? Does anyone know how many EXE:5200 systems they will ship in 2026? From what I was told NXE:5000 HNA-EUV systems are pre production systems.

I know TSMC and Samsung both have one but I do not see them using HNA-EUV in HVM before 2030. It is not just the cost, it is scaling it for TSMC's definition of HVM, which is different than Samsung and Intel Foundry.

ASML shipped five EXE:5000 and one EXE:5200 as of the Q2 2025 earnings call. The EXE:5200 may still be considered a development tool if it is the only High-NA capable of delivering higher power (for higher dose at sufficient throughput) and/or sufficient overlay. The EUV-induced plasma would be different and it would be the only tool to develop stitching methods with.

 

[Fred Chen]

was thinking the same as i read it, so absurd cant believe anyone can take themselves seriously writing stuff like that!
I dont know if more HiNA necessarily implies anything about 14A since it seems intel figured out how to do 18A layers w/ HiNA. I feel like i remember reading here a few months ago that they had figured out how to save multipatterning passes by using HiNA for specific layers

Could be that they see it as long term for 14a short term helping ramp 18a faster. Thatd mean significantly less MA time needed etc if 18a is expected to have lifetime thru 2031/32 as long as HiNA starts to be usable within the next year

It will definitely make the PDK harder.

 

[Barnsley]

ASML shipped five EXE:5000 and one EXE:5200 as of the Q2 2025 earnings call. The EXE:5200 may still be considered a development tool if it is the only High-NA capable of delivering higher power (for higher dose at sufficient throughput) and/or sufficient overlay. The EUV-induced plasma would be different and it would be the only tool to develop stitching methods with.

So if an ASML Tool have "EXE" in its title its an EUV machine?

 

[Xebec]

This is a crap article by the way but interesting topic. Is that they way Fudzilla normally writes? Professional journalism is dead.

Intel said 14A will ship in 2027 at the last event. That is the last I heard. Yesterday TSMC said A14 would ship in 2028. TSMC is very competitive so maybe that will move up. This is why we need Intel Foundry, competition pushes innovation.

FudZilla used to be run by Mike Magee - the guy who founded The Register (.co.uk) and The Inquirer; and so some of the writers (and writing style) comes from there. TR used to be higher quality in the early 2000s (and still occasionally has some great writeups), but FudZIlla was always wrote "budget versions" of tech articles

 

[siliconbruh999]

Intel said 14A will ship in 2027 at the last event. That is the last I heard. Yesterday TSMC said A14 would ship in 2028. TSMC is very competitive so maybe that will move up. This is why we need Intel Foundry, competition pushes innovation.

From what I know they are planning risk production in 27 and if Intel's timelines is to go by you can expect Intel 14A products at the start of Q1 28

 

[siliconbruh999]

So if an ASML Tool have "EXE" in its title its an EUV machine?

I thought EXE means windows executable

 

[Fred Chen]

So if an ASML Tool have "EXE" in its title its an EUV machine?

EXE= High-NA
NXE=Low-NA
NXT=most advanced DUV (including KrF)

 

[samwilde]

FudZilla used to be run by Mike Magee - the guy who founded The Register (.co.uk) and The Inquirer; and so some of the writers (and writing style) comes from there.

Mike is dead. But I think his son still works at The Register.

SemiAccurate is also still up. Charlie also used to work for Mike. But his site is way more respectable than Fuad's Fudzilla I think.

Back in The Register, Intel was Chipzilla, and AMD was Chimpzilla. From Satan Clara.

 

[MKWVentures]

Questions: Whatever happened to the IFS separation.
Separate board
They should have a separate CEO
Separate finances?

There are some huge tradeoffs coming between product and foundry and they are not behaving independently. Have they announced they are not really independent.