Taiwan Investing More and More in EUV Lithography Technology

Micron Technology recently decided to install NXE:3600D, the latest lithography equipment of ASML, at its HQ in the United States late this year. In addition, Micron Technology is planning to install the same EUV lithography equipment at its DRAM plant in Taiwan. This means Micron Technology's first EUV DRAM will be produced in Taiwan and its investment in the country will continue to increase.

In the meantime, Nanya Technology Corp., the fourth-largest company in the global DRAM industry, announced in April this year that it would build an EUV DRAM plant in New Taipei City by investing 300 billion New Taiwan dollars and the plant would be put into operation in 2024.

TSMC's presence in the EUV lithography industry is continuing to increase. In the second quarter of this year, EUV lithography-based 7-nm and more advanced processes accounted for 49 percent of the company's sales. The company is purchasing more and more EUV lithography equipment from ASML and making an increasing investment in related R&D. For instance, TSMC has achieved yield and process efficiency enhancement by producing EUV pellicles on its own.

Samsung Electronics employed EUV lithography for mass production for the first time in 2019. These days, however, it is Micron Technology, TSMC and other Taiwanese semiconductor companies that are enriching the industrial ecosystem. Experts point out that this infrastructure expansion will lead to an even sharper competitive edge.