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SK hynix secures High NA EUV machine, accelerating memory timeline

Published: 03 Sep. 2025, 18:30 Updated: 03 Sep. 2025, 18:32

ASML's High-NA EUV lithography machine [REUTERS]

SK hynix has acquired ASML’s latest extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine, accelerating its road map for next generation semiconductor manufacturing.

Originally scheduled for delivery in 2026, the arrival of the high numerical aperture (High-NA) EUV equipment was moved up by about six months. SK hynix said Wednesday that the tool has been installed at its M16 fab in Icheon, Gyeonggi.

High-NA EUV technology is critical to advanced semiconductor fabrication, offering significantly improved resolution compared to existing EUV tools. SK hynix aims to leverage the new equipment to enhance its next generation memory development.

“This provides a foundation to swiftly develop and supply cutting-edge products that meet customer demands in today’s fiercely competitive global semiconductor environment,” the company said in a statement. “We will further strengthen the reliability and stability of the global chip supply chain through close collaboration with our partners.”

The High-NA EUV system delivers a 40 percent improvement in optical resolution over standard EUV tools, enabling 1.7 times greater precision and 2.9 times higher circuit density. The machine stands as tall as a double-decker bus and weighs about 150 tons — the equivalent of two Airbus A320 jets.

SK hynix is the fifth company known to have acquired a High-NA EUV tool, following Intel in December 2023, the European research institute Imec and TSMC in 2024 and Samsung Electronics in March 2025.

The version adopted by SK hynix, the Twinscan EXE:5200B, is the first High-NA EUV tool designed for mass production. According to ASML, the 5200B improves overlay performance and productivity compared to the earlier EXE:5000 model, which has been used primarily in research and development. Intel is using the EXE:5000 for its 1-nanometer process while Samsung is applying it to both memory and foundry development.

“SK hynix is the first memory chipmaker to adopt a High-NA EUV tool for mass production,” the company said. Industry sources estimate the price per unit at around 600 billion won ($431.6 million).

SK hynix holds a ceremony on Sept. 3 at its Icheon campus after bringing the memory industry’s first mass-production High-NA EUV tool into its M16 fab. [SK HYNIX]

As dynamic random access memory (DRAM) fabrication scales below the 10-nanometer node, the current EUV processes are nearing their technical limits. High-NA EUV is expected to play a pivotal role in further miniaturization, especially at 7 nanometers and below, by reducing the number of patterning steps required and improving cost efficiency.

SK hynix plans to streamline its existing EUV process, aiming to speed up memory development and enhance both performance and cost competitiveness.

Industry insiders also expect SK hynix to use the new tool to advance its next-generation memory technologies, including high bandwidth memory (HBM) and vertically stacked 3-D DRAM. The company may also apply the technology to its development of logic dies used as base dies in HBM stacks.

Beginning with HBM4, memory chipmakers are transitioning from traditional base dies to logic dies. SK hynix currently outsources its HBM4 logic die production to TSMC, while Nvidia is designing its own logic die for HBM4E.

“If Nvidia designs its own logic dies, memory makers risk becoming subcontractors,” said an industry official. “To maintain leadership, memory companies need to strengthen their logic die capabilities.”

Because EUV tools are more effective in logic chip manufacturing than in memory, SK hynix is expected to increase R&D in logic die technologies moving forward.

“This installation provides critical infrastructure to realize our future technology vision,” said SK hynix CTO Cha Seon-yong. “We will lead the AI memory market by developing next-generation memory solutions with the most advanced technologies to meet the demands of AI and next-gen computing.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK HAE-LEE [[email protected]]