Samsung Electronics and ASML are expanding their long-standing strategic partnership as the two companies step up cooperation on High NA EUV lithography and advanced semiconductor manufacturing technologies.
The companies said they will strengthen joint efforts to develop and deploy next-generation manufacturing technologies aimed at meeting the growing performance and efficiency demands of the semiconductor industry amid the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence.
As part of the expanded collaboration, Samsung will participate in an industry initiative to develop next-generation 12-inch photomask technology. The semiconductor industry has traditionally used 6-inch photomasks, but the adoption of larger 12-inch masks is expected to improve fab productivity, reduce chip production costs and eliminate limitations associated with stitching when High NA EUV technology is used.
The shift to larger masks is also expected to allow advanced chipmakers to make fuller use of High NA EUV's capabilities, potentially improving the cost competitiveness of future leading-edge semiconductor production.
Samsung, which has extensive experience in both memory and foundry manufacturing as well as advanced EUV processes, plans to work with industry partners to develop the necessary mask technologies and related infrastructure for the transition.
The company also plans to introduce ASML's High NA EUV lithography technology into high-volume DRAM manufacturing by 2028, marking what the companies described as an industry first. The move is expected to support continued DRAM scaling by providing higher resolution, simplifying manufacturing processes and improving production efficiency.
The expanded partnership comes as semiconductor manufacturers seek to accelerate technology development in response to rapidly rising demand for AI-related chips. Samsung and ASML said they will continue to explore additional areas of cooperation, including advanced memory technologies and new approaches to semiconductor manufacturing.
Young Hyun Jun, vice chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics, said the AI era is reshaping the semiconductor industry and increasing the importance of innovation throughout the supply chain.
“Samsung is committed to maintaining leadership in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, including memory and foundry, through breakthrough technologies and strong partnerships,” Jun said. “By further strengthening our collaboration with ASML, we are helping lay the foundation for the next generation of AI and semiconductor innovation.”
Christophe Fouquet, president and CEO of ASML, said Samsung has been one of the company's key innovation partners for many years.
“Together, we have helped advance the technologies that underpin modern semiconductor manufacturing,” Fouquet said. “As the industry enters a new era driven by artificial intelligence, close collaboration with our customers becomes even more important.”
