Unveiling the Future: SAMSUNG and the Next-Gen Lithography Machine Revolution

The tech industry is about to experience a phase change of unprecedented scale – courtesy of ASML’s unveiling last month of its fifth-generation high-NA (numerical aperture) lithography machine, the TWINSCAN EXE:5000. In the near future, chips will be made denser, faster, smaller, and bigger – more and more – than ever before. SAMSUNG has been investigating how it can make the jump into the next stage of chip-making.

The Breakthrough in Chip Manufacturing

The most important part of the shift is ASML’s latest lithography tool, which can print features on chips as small as 8nm (compared with just 13nm of its predecessors). This is not so much an evolution – it is a revolution. The EXE:5000 does not simply shrink, it scales up. Compared with its predecessors, it can print chips with a density growth of up to 1.7 times, and more features with fewer exposures.

SAMSUNG's Calculated Hesitation

Amid the hype and the hustle and bustle of expectation, SAMSUNG, the giant of the semiconductor and electronics industry, seems to be weighing up its options with a bit of eagerness and a bit of caution. The South Korean conglomerate, a veritable force in driving innovation and market leadership, is at a quandary about whether to jump on the high-NA bandwagon. With Intel already wagering its place in the market, the industry looks forward to seeing where SAMSUNG lands in the high-performance tech poker game.

The Intel Endeavor: A Glimpse into the Future

And Intel, never one to hesitate over the next big thing, has already ordered the first of ASML’s EXE:5000 machines to land at their D1X fab in Oregon. With delivery slated for 2025, Intel gets first dibs at the leading edge, and might well be laying out the blueprint others (such as SAMSUNG) are soon going to find themselves compelled to match. But the lag between the availability of the new machines to makers and the appearance of consumer chips from the technology (2027) is still enough of a lead time for ambitious thinking about what to do.

The Modular Marvel of ASML's Design

ASML has designed the EXE:5000 as an evolution not a revolution of its EUV lithography technology. Because it coincides with commonality, and modular components of the same technology, it results in a smoother, faster integration into customers’ fabs – an incentive that might sway SAMSUNG’s next move. In the coming age of deep tech, this acceleration toward high-volume manufacturing is not just an effort to become more efficient, but an opportunity to save energy and become more sustainable.

Why Density Matters More Than Ever

In an era of digital explosion, the mantra ‘smaller, faster, more efficient’ has never been more apt More than a new lens, as chipmakers begin to scale up to 8nm resolution – a first for digicams – the EXE:5000 ushers in a new world of possibilities, allowing for faster, more powerful transistors in increasingly tiny packages that consume less energy, an important consideration as SAMSUNG continues to incorporate new technologies in everything from phones to appliances.

SAMSUNG at the Crossroads of Innovation

For SAMSUNG, this decision looms large over the company’s actions, and the stakes are huge. Adopting high-NA EUV lithography will be a costly bet on a new future in which chip miniaturisation and performance proceed without bounds.

About SAMSUNG

Samsung, a global leader in cutting-edge technology, has always been on the forefront of innovation and technological advancement. Formed in South Korea, the multifaceted conglomerate has expanded its reach to include a variety of consumer electronic components, semiconductor manufacturing and more. Committed to its reputation for excellence, SAMSUNG is constantly on the lookout for the next great innovation in order to set the pace for products that will redefine the global marketplace.

So adopting ASML’s high-NA lithography is a microcosm of SAMSUNG’s ongoing pursuit of innovation – a continued defence of the company’s founding vision, not to copy technology trends, but to be a trendsetter. As SAMSUNG ponders bringing the TWINSCAN EXE:5000 on-line, the tech world waits with bated breath to see how another giant will shape technology.