SK Hynix signs $4.3 billion deal with ASML for EUV machines

Memory makers are preparing for a big push to EUV. South Korea's SK Hynix announced a new 4.8 trillion won ($4.34 billion) deal with Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML.

It's a five-year contract to secure an unnamed number of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) scanners. These are tools used for the production of semiconductors, ASML is the only company in the world that makes EUV scanners. EUV is the next big step in semiconductor production, it's been in the making for a lot longer than expected but over the past couple of years, the last hurdles have been cleared. Switching to EUV is a necessity as it simplifies production versus the multi-patterning techniques that were used to squeeze more mileage from traditional immersion lithography.

TSMC and Samsung are already running EUV production, the latter expects to mass production DDR5 and LPDDR5 using the EUV-based 10nm-class D1a sometime later this year. SK Hynix revealed it will use EUV for its next-generation process, with initial production anticipated in the second half of this year.