Intel Leads on High NA EUV as Samsung and TSMC Commit to ASML's Next-Generation Tools

The world's biggest chipmakers are committing to ASML's next-generation lithography years before it reaches volume. Intel is the early adopter of High NA EUV, already using it for select layers of its Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake) processors, while Samsung and TSMC have now set their own dates (PC Gamer, DCD).

What High NA EUV changes

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography lets chipmakers print the features needed for today's most advanced processors. High NA, short for high numerical aperture, is the next step, able to resolve even finer patterns. ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet has said adoption will grow as chipmakers commit to production use from as soon as 2028. Each tool takes years to build and ship, so orders have to be placed long before machines reach a fab. The machines cost roughly double a standard EUV system, at about $370 million each by one estimate.

Larger photomasks are the second, slower shift. Photomasks are the stencils that project circuit patterns onto wafers, and larger masks allow denser designs without the cost and yield penalties of stitching smaller patterns together. ASML is working with Intel, Samsung and TSMC on moving from 6-inch to 12-inch masks, but its timeline is a 12-inch pilot line by 2031 and 12-inch High NA systems in advanced production by 2033. Early High NA production will use today's 6-inch masks.

Company	High NA EUV plan
Intel	Early adopter; already producing select layers of Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake)
Samsung	Advanced DRAM mass production by 2028 (announced September 8)
TSMC	High-volume manufacturing from 2030, initially with current masks
12-inch photomasks	Pilot line by 2031; advanced production by 2033
Installed base	About 10 systems running at four customers, three more being installed

TrendForce, citing Economic Daily News, reported about 10 High NA systems running at four customers, with three more being shipped and installed. ASML's finance chief Roger Dassen has cautioned that the industry is still in the "very initial ramps" (TrendForce).

Why Intel moved first

Intel's early bet is part of its effort to win back ground lost to TSMC and Samsung in advanced manufacturing. Moving first on High NA is one of the few ways it can leapfrog rather than just catch up. Owning the most advanced tool does not guarantee the yields and costs that make a process commercially viable, though, and TSMC has long argued that more incremental steps are enough for now; its 2030 commitment marks a shift after years of downplaying High NA's near-term value.

The cost ripple

Every major phone brand ultimately depends on chips made with tools like these, so higher fabrication costs eventually show up in flagship phone and laptop prices. India's semiconductor projects, including the Tata and Micron assembly and testing facilities, focus on packaging and testing rather than the frontier fabrication High NA enables.

What to watch next

Watch whether Intel's early lead becomes a competitive process node, and how quickly Samsung's DRAM plans and TSMC's 2030 timeline turn into orders on ASML's books.

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