ASML received a major vote of confidence on Tuesday as the world’s two largest chipmakers, TSMC and Samsung, committed to using its High NA extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, according to a CNBC report. The tools, which cost around $400 million each, are critical for printing the increasingly intricate circuit patterns required for advanced AI chips.
Samsung, a dominant player in memory chips, said it would deploy ASML’s High NA machines to produce DRAM starting in 2028. The company plans to adopt the technology broadly by 2030, saying it would “extend the DRAM scaling roadmap” and improve manufacturing efficiency.
TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said it expects its use of High NA machines to increase, “driven primarily by the increasingly complex transistor architectures required for AI applications.”
Investor optimism and Barclays’ view
The announcements come as investors closely watch the adoption of High NA EUV technology, which is seen as a key driver of ASML’s future growth. The stock has already climbed 120% over the past year, but it was flat-to-lower in early Amsterdam trading on Tuesday.
Barclays analysts called the news “a positive,” noting in a note that the commitments “should provide more visibility on adoption which has been a key debate.” The bank also sees ASML facing a strategic decision on whether to expand EUV capacity beyond its recently raised targets, adding that “demand is clearly strong.”
Intel already on board
TSMC and Samsung join Intel as customers for the High NA machines. ASML said in July that Intel is already using the technology for advanced chip manufacturing.
ASML has not issued a recent forecast for how many High NA tools it expects to sell, but it has said it will boost total EUV capacity by about 30% in 2027.
Industry initiative for next-gen photomasks
In a related move, TSMC and Samsung will also join ASML in an industry initiative to develop next-generation 12-inch photomask technology, an upgrade from the current 6-inch format. Photomasks act as the stencils that define circuit patterns on wafers. ASML said the larger format would improve productivity and lower chipmaking costs.
Source: www.cnbc.com — https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/08/tsmc-samsung-asml-high-na-euv-machine-ai-chips.html
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