According to foreign media reports, Samsung Electronics Vice President Lee Jae-yong This trip to Europe, visited CEO Peter Wennink at the headquarters of Aismore (ASML) in the Netherlands, and obtained additional extreme ultraviolet light (EUV) microfilm equipment; the market believes that EUV equipment is crucial to the production of next-generation semiconductors, Samsung actively ensures stable supply, and must catch up with TSMC (2330-TW) (TSM-US) in advanced processes and regain the leading position.
South Korean media BusinessKorea reported that Samsung Electronics said on the 15th that Lee Jae-yong met with senior executives such as Peter Wennink and Aismore technical director Martin van den Brink on June 14 local time.
Samsung Electronics said that the two sides discussed the future semiconductor technology, semiconductor market prospects, EUV microfilm equipment supply and medium- and long-term business development. However, Samsung did not disclose the relevant details of the additional EUV equipment obtained.
Esmore produces about 40 EUV equipment every year, ships 31 units in 2020 and 42 units in 2021. This year, about 50 units were originally scheduled to be produced, but the progress has been dragged down by the shortage of components. Analysts estimate that Samsung can obtain 18 EUV devices this year, up from 15 last year and 8 in 2020.
As the advanced process war between TSMC, Samsung and Intel (INTC-US) begins, the demand for EUVs has increased significantly, and the next-generation High-NA EUV equipment is more precise and has more designed parts. It is estimated that each unit will be priced at US$400 million. In the fourth quarter of last year, Eismore had 5 orders in hand, and Intel also placed orders earlier this year, with delivery expected in 2025.
Before Lee Jae-yong's visit to Peter Wennink, he also met with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to discuss cooperation, strengthen semiconductor wafer foundry capabilities, discuss how to solve global semiconductor supply chain problems, and ask Rutte to provide support to ensure that Esmore can supply EUV microfilm equipment stably.
