• Samsung plans to introduce ASML's High NA lithography into high-volume DRAM manufacturing from 2028
  • The first production systems will use today's mask format, while a separate larger-mask programme is expected to take several more years

The fact

Samsung plans to use ASML's High NA extreme ultraviolet lithography in high-volume DRAM manufacturing from 2028 as chipmakers prepare to bring the newer equipment into production. Reuters reported broader customer commitments to the technology on 14 September and put the price of a High NA system at about $400 million, roughly twice that of existing EUV tools.

High NA gives chipmakers finer resolution when printing patterns onto wafers. Samsung and ASML are also working on a larger 12-inch photomask intended to support bigger chip layouts and reduce the need to stitch separately printed areas together. The two developments will not arrive at the same time. Initial High NA production systems are expected to use the existing six-inch mask format. Reuters reported that pilot production with the larger masks is targeted for 2031, with systems following in 2033.

The assessment

The price of the machine matters, but chipmakers will care more about what it changes inside the factory. High NA becomes easier to justify if its finer printing removes extra lithography steps or simplifies a process that would otherwise take several passes.

That still has to be proven on real products. A $400 million tool is not automatically cheaper to use simply because it is more advanced. Samsung will need to see how many process steps it can remove, how much useful output the machine delivers and how many finished chips meet the required standard.

For BTW readers, Samsung's 2028 DRAM plan gives High NA a clear production milestone. The larger photomask is on a separate timetable, so chipmakers do not have to wait for that work to finish before they begin using the new lithography systems.

What to watch

Watch Samsung's progress towards volume DRAM production in 2028 and any manufacturing data showing which lithography steps High NA removes. The larger-mask programme should be tracked separately, particularly its planned 2031 pilot production and later equipment timetable.