According to South Korean media reports, Samsung Electronics introduced its first ASML produced "High NA EUV" lithography equipment, EXE: 5000, at its Hwaseong campus earlier this month, with a value of up to 500 billion Korean won (approximately 2.501 billion yuan), and is only supplied by ASML globally. 

It is reported that Samsung Electronics introduced the next-generation semiconductor lithography equipment "High NA EUV" - EXE: 5000- at its Hwaseong Park in South Korea in early March. High NA EUV is an essential equipment for achieving ultra-fine circuits below 2nm. 

By increasing the size of the lens and reflector, the numerical aperture (NA) has been increased from 0.33 to 0.55, significantly improving the lithography accuracy. This is interpreted as Samsung Electronics' initiative to improve the level of craftsmanship below 2nm. Samsung Electronics has been conducting process application evaluations of High NA EUV equipment since last year and reportedly plans to use it for next-generation semiconductor processes below 2nm. 

High NA EUV is considered an essential equipment for the next generation of foundry processes below 2nm. Global semiconductor companies are also competing to introduce High NA EUV. It is reported that Intel has signed contracts to purchase a total of six devices, including the first device to be delivered in 2023. TSMC has also recently introduced equipment to accelerate the introduction of 2nm processes. 

According to market research firm TrendForce, TSMC's wafer foundry market share in the fourth quarter of last year was 67.1%, an increase of 2.4 percentage points from the third and fourth quarters of the previous year. On the other hand, Samsung Electronics is facing difficulties in the market, with a decrease of 1 percentage point from 9.1% to 8.1% during the same period.

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