Samsung and ASML Expand High NA EUV Partnership for Next-Generation Chips

Samsung Electronics and ASML announced an expansion of their long-standing strategic partnership on September 8, 2026, deepening collaboration on High NA EUV lithography and advanced semiconductor manufacturing technologies. Under the expanded agreement, Samsung will join an industry initiative to advance next-generation 12-inch photomask technology and plans to introduce ASML’s High NA extreme ultraviolet lithography into future DRAM high-volume manufacturing by 2028, a first for the industry, according to the companies’ joint announcement.

The two companies said they will work together to accelerate the development and deployment of technologies that support the increasing performance and efficiency requirements of advanced semiconductor manufacturing. The collaboration builds on years of cooperation between the Dutch lithography equipment supplier and the South Korean chipmaker.

12-Inch Photomask Initiative

Samsung will join the industry initiative to advance next-generation 12-inch photomask technology for future manufacturing. The semiconductor industry has relied on the 6-inch photomask format for decades. With High NA EUV, the transition to larger, 12-inch masks is expected to further increase fab productivity, lower chipmaking costs and remove stitching constraints, the announcement states.

The larger mask format is intended to enable advanced chip manufacturers to fully leverage the advantages of High NA EUV, making future generations of leading-edge chips more cost-effective. Samsung said it will work closely with industry partners to develop the required mask technologies and supporting infrastructure, drawing on its leadership in both memory and foundry manufacturing and its extensive experience with advanced EUV lithography.

High NA EUV in DRAM Manufacturing

Samsung also plans to introduce ASML’s High NA EUV lithography into future DRAM high-volume manufacturing for the first time in the industry by 2028. The company said the move demonstrates the readiness of High NA technology to support advanced memory and logic applications. High NA EUV is expected to extend the DRAM scaling roadmap, with improved resolution enabling process simplification and increased efficiency, according to the announcement.

High NA EUV systems raise the numerical aperture of the projection optics from 0.33 to 0.55, allowing finer features to be printed on the wafer.

The companies described the announcement as reflecting a shared commitment to innovation, technology leadership and long-term partnership. Samsung and ASML expect to continue exploring opportunities for collaboration in areas including advanced memory and innovative manufacturing approaches.

Executive Statements

Young Hyun Jun, Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics, said the AI era is transforming the semiconductor industry and increasing the importance of technological innovation across the entire value 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 Chief Executive Officer of ASML, said Samsung has been one of ASML’s most important innovation partners for many years and that the companies have helped advance the technologies underpinning modern semiconductor manufacturing. “As the industry enters a new era driven by artificial intelligence, close collaboration with our customers becomes even more important,” Fouquet said. “We look forward to working with Samsung to enable the next wave of semiconductor innovation.”

Samsung published a counterpart announcement in its global newsroom carrying the same terms and executive statements, dated September 8, 2026, from Seoul, Korea, and Veldhoven, the Netherlands.

Forward-Looking Status

The planned 2028 introduction of High NA EUV into DRAM high-volume manufacturing and the expected benefits of the 12-inch photomask transition are forward-looking statements made by the companies as of the date of the announcement. ASML noted in the release that such statements involve risks and uncertainties, including risks related to the strategic collaboration, the photomask transition and the adoption and benefits of High NA EUV technology, and that it undertakes no obligation to update them after the date of the document except as required by law. The company referred to risk factors included in its most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

ASML, headquartered in Veldhoven, the Netherlands, supplies hardware, software and services used to mass produce the patterns of integrated circuits. The company employs more than 44,000 people across offices in EMEA, the United States and Asia, and its shares trade on Euronext Amsterdam and NASDAQ under the symbol ASML.