EUV Lithography: SK Hynix orders ASML systems worth 6.9 billion euros
SK Hynix is stepping on the gas with production expansion. The memory manufacturer is spending a lot of money on EUV lithography systems from ASML.
An older EUV system of the type NXE:3400.
(Image: ASML)
It is the largest order ever made public to the Dutch semiconductor specialist ASML: SK Hynix is buying lithography systems worth a good 6.9 billion euros. The memory manufacturer is expected to receive the last systems from this order by the end of 2027.
The order is so large that it requires a mandatory announcement to the South Korean financial supervisory authority (Financial Supervisory Service, FSS). The 6.9 billion euros correspond to about ten percent of SK Hynix's current assets. The total assets, including manufacturing plants after depreciation, amount to approximately 69 billion euros.
Systems for EUV Lithography
The 6.9 billion euros will be invested in modern EUV systems that use extreme ultraviolet light sources. They are suitable for the latest manufacturing generations. It is unclear which specific models are involved. However, the order is likely to include dozens of systems and is primarily intended for the production of DRAM (dynamic random-access memory).
Previous models with low numerical aperture (Low-NA EUV), which have so far been exclusively used in series production, cost between 170 million and 200 million euros. The next generation with high numerical aperture (High-NA EUV) for even finer chip structures costs about twice as much. SK Hynix already has the first high-NA EUV system in pre-series operation.
SK Hynix is stepping on the gas
Currently, SK Hynix, like Samsung, is accelerating the construction of new semiconductor plants. Projects from 2022 are now nearing completion, including a new semiconductor plant in the new “Megacluster” in Yongin. Other expansions, such as the M15X plant in Cheongju, are also expected to start operations soon.
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However, it will take some time before this becomes noticeable in the market. Chip manufacturers typically plan at least six months from the start of operations to series production. It takes several more months for finished chips to be produced from a silicon wafer. An improvement in the memory crisis due to increased availability can be expected from the end of 2027.
It is questionable whether ASML has already priced the order volume into its latest business report. The growing share of memory manufacturers suggests this, as does ASML's stock performance. The stock gained some ground before the announcement but has largely stagnated since then. It is still down on a weekly and monthly basis.
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