Intel has already begun deploying high-NA EUV lithography machines for advanced chip manufacturing. The US chipmaker is using the technology as it prepares for mass production of its Panther Lake processors for mobile computing devices, scheduled to begin in July 2026.
Chip industry advances as China races to catch up
Samsung and TSMC are working with Intel and ASML to modernize the chip manufacturing process by replacing traditional 6-inch photomasks—stencils used to transfer intricate circuit patterns onto silicon—with larger 12-inch photomasks. Marco Peters, ASML’s chief technology officer, told Bloomberg that the transition could eventually improve productivity on high-NA EUV systems by as much as 40 percent.
SK Hynix, the South Korean memory-chip manufacturer, is also considering joining an industry consortium focused on the transition to 12-inch photomasks, a company spokesperson told Bloomberg. Like Samsung, SK Hynix is targeting 2028 to begin producing memory chips with high-NA EUV technology.
As demand for artificial intelligence continues to grow, increasing semiconductor manufacturing efficiency is becoming a strategic business priority. The global race to build AI data centers is also contributing to a memory-chip shortage, pushing up prices for smartphones, laptops, and gaming consoles.
ASML’s advanced lithography machines have also become a central issue in the technology competition between the United States and China. Although ASML continues to supply older deep-ultraviolet lithography equipment to Chinese companies such as Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), exports of many advanced chipmaking systems to China have been restricted by Dutch government controls and pressure from the United States.
Although it has not been proven, US officials have expressed concerns that China may have obtained access to one of ASML’s EUV lithography machines. Chinese companies nevertheless face significant challenges in developing a domestic alternative and the supply chain required to manufacture such complex equipment. Executives at Germany’s Zeiss Group, ASML’s exclusive supplier of mirrors and optical systems, recently predicted that China could be 15 years away from developing its own EUV lithography systems.
This article was updated on September 8, 2026, to clarify the differences between EUV technology and older lithography processes such as deep-ultraviolet lithography.
Source: arstechnica.com