Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is expected to receive its first High-Numerical Aperture Extreme Ultraviolet (High-NA EUV) lithography machine this month, ahead of its competitors, according to industry reports. The equipment will be deployed at TSMC’s global R&D center to support advanced chipmaking processes such as the A14 node, maintaining the company’s lead over Samsung in the race for next-generation semiconductors.
While neither TSMC nor ASML, the supplier of the High-NA EUV, have confirmed the specific details, it is understood that TSMC negotiated a price reduction of nearly 20% by trading in older equipment. High-NA EUV machines, priced at over €400 million ($426 million), are known for their complex transport and installation requirements due to their immense size and precision.
TSMC currently holds 65% of the global EUV wafer production capacity, making it the largest operator of EUV systems worldwide. ASML, meanwhile, has confirmed that it has received next-generation equipment orders from all major EUV customers, with plans to move towards mass production by 2026.
