ASML issued a statement that Intel got 6 NA EUV lithography machines, and TSMC no longer chooses them?
ASML has made a statement! Intel bought 6 NA-class EUV lithography machines, and TSMC actually gave up?
As we all know, the development of silicon chips is limited by Moore's law, which is 1 nm at most, and it is difficult to improve it unless new semiconductor materials appear.
TSMC, on the other hand, is a new type of equipment capable of producing 2 nm chips, because the NA EUV lithography machine has been the first in the world, and more than half of the EUV lithography machines in the global market have become the overlord of this industry.
Now that Samsung has entered the 3 nm process, TSMC should have continued to stock up, especially the latest NA EUV lithography machines, but it did not expect that ASML's 6 NA EUV lithography machines were all bought by Intel.
Why did TSMC abandon advanced lithography machines? Is he going to ask for it?
In order to buy a few more EUV lithography machines, Samsung Lee Jae-yong personally went to the Netherlands to negotiate the details of the order with AMSL, and wanted to get more lithography machines from AMSL, but in the end, it still depends on the attitude of the United States.
However, to everyone's surprise, TSMC did not rush with Intel to produce NA EUV lithography machines, according to ASML, they plan to produce 10 new lithography machines in 2024, six of which have already been bought by Intel.
ASML originally thought that TSMC would definitely grab the remaining four, but to their surprise, TSMC did not make any reaction on the NA lithography machine, which made ASML very depressed.
ASML was also the first to express its opinion: "The NA-type EUV lithography machine is the best choice for the 2 nm process, and our order volume will be doubled." ”
In fact, this statement does not have much effect, for the simple reason that TSMC's production capacity is less than 50%, especially in high-end processes, and there are rumors that they have discontinued several EUV lithography machines.
TSMC is the only manufacturer of the most common 7 nm and 5 nm chips on the market, and most manufacturers have given up the idea of producing 2 nm process because the cost is too high.
The ** of the NA EUV lithography machine is much higher, and the cost is more difficult to control, TSMC will not invest in the 2 nm process when the 3 nm process has not made money, they only need to keep their technology in their own hands, and when the time is right, they will put it into the market, which will occupy an absolute advantage.
Samsung boldly uses the GAA process in the 3 nm process, which results in a very low yield and difficult cost control, and TSMC has also announced that this technology will only be used in the 2 nm process, which also allows TSMC to occupy a certain position in the market.
In general, TSMC is still very interested in the NA EUV lithography machine, but the current situation does not allow it, and if the construction of factories in the United States has been stopped, Biden's team will definitely not give up.