TSMC confirms it bought ASML’s High-NA EUV gear for R&D

TSMC CEO Confirms High-NA EUV Purchase for R&D, Says Mass Production Awaits Lower Costs

At TSMC’s annual shareholders’ meeting on Thursday, CEO C.C. Wei confirmed the company has purchased ASML’s next-generation High-NA EUV lithography systems and is actively using them for research and development, pushing back against reports that the chipmaker had opted to forgo the technology entirely.

“When costs come down and we can fully leverage their benefits, we will introduce them to production,” Wei told shareholders at the meeting in Hsinchu, Taiwan.focustaiwan

Clarifying the Record

Wei’s comments addressed mounting speculation that TSMC was falling behind rivals on advanced tooling. In April, Bloomberg reported that TSMC would hold off on deploying the machines — which can cost upwards of $400 million each — for chip production through 2029. TSMC Senior Vice President Kevin Zhang had said at the company’s North America Technology Symposium that there were no plans to introduce High-NA EUV before 2029, citing the prohibitive expense.semiwiki

Wei’s clarification drew a distinction between ownership and deployment: TSMC has the machines and is learning from them in R&D, but has not yet found the economics favorable for volume manufacturing.focustaiwan

Industry Context

The remarks come as ASML pushes to validate High-NA EUV’s commercial viability. In May, ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet said first chips made with the new machines would arrive within months, with Intel and SK Hynix among early adopters for production use. The technology promises finer patterning that could extend Moore’s Law, but its cost has divided the industry over the timing of adoption.reuters

Reuters reported Thursday that Wei was asked directly whether TSMC wanted to invest in the machines, and he confirmed the purchase while noting they have not been deployed in mass production because costs remain too high.reuters

Broader Outlook

Beyond lithography, Wei struck a bullish tone on TSMC’s growth prospects, saying AI demand shows no sign of easing. He told shareholders that 2026 capital expenditure is expected near the upper end of the company’s $52 billion to $56 billion guidance range. Revenue hit a record NT$3.81 trillion in 2025, up 31.6 percent year-over-year.focustaiwan

Wei dismissed competitive threats from Intel and Samsung Electronics, saying TSMC has “never lacked rivals” and will continue outperforming through technology leadership and customer trust.focustaiwan