Chip manufacturing for AI accelerators is becoming a question of lithography technology – and ASML has the answer. The Dutch company has lined up the world's three largest chipmakers: they want to switch to High-NA EUV machines and make a technological leap that will boost production throughput by 40 percent.
The essentials
- Samsung adopts High-NA EUV from 2028 for memory chips; TSMC from 2030; Intel already in use
- Core innovation: shift from 6-inch to 12-inch photomasks – enables larger chip areas per exposure step
- A single ASML machine costs up to $400 million
- ASML is the only manufacturer of EUV lithography systems worldwide
The technological breakthrough: Larger masks, higher throughput
The photomask is the heart of modern chip manufacturing – a kind of digital template storing the chip's circuit pattern. Light is projected through this mask onto a light-sensitive silicon wafer, transferring the pattern to the wafer. Until now, the standard was a 6-inch mask. The problem: because individual chip area was limited, manufacturers had to stack chips vertically and connect them laboriously – more complexity, higher costs.
The switch to 12-inch masks was long controversial. TSMC, for instance, argued the higher costs wouldn't be justified by productivity gains. Now the company is reversing course – a signal for the entire industry. TSMC and ASML plan to build a test line for the new masks by 2031; productive use is planned for 2033.
"This is a huge opportunity," said ASML Chief Technology Officer Marco Pieters on the 40 percent throughput increase.
China builds its counter-position
While ASML solidifies its market position, Huawei is orchestrating China's counter-strategy. According to the Financial Times, the company is investing across the entire lithography chain to remove foreign technology from China's semiconductor supply chain and circumvent Western export controls. Working with equipment maker Yuliangsheng and its own suppliers, Huawei is trying to break dependence on Dutch technology.
The competition for lithography is thus also a competition for technological sovereignty. ASML generates around 16 percent of its revenue from TSMC – a concentration ratio that underscores the importance of these partnerships.
| Manufacturer | High-NA Start | Application | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intel | already active | Processors | Early adopter |
| Samsung | 2028 | Memory chips | AI data centers |
| TSMC | 2030 | Logic chips | Largest foundry |
What this means for German companies
German chip designers and semiconductor suppliers are watching this technology shift closely. The 40 percent throughput increase could make AI chips cheaper and more available – intensifying competition for local AI infrastructure. At the same time, China's counter-strategy sends a message: whoever isn't in the lithography supply chain becomes dependent. That's a lesson for European semiconductor strategies too.
Sources
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