“TSMC adopts high-NA EUV litho in 2028”

TSMC will insert high-NA EUV lithography into production in 2028, Digitimes reports. Citing industry sources, the Taiwanese media outlet writes that TSMC will start using high-NA to manufacture A14P chips, an updated version of the A14 node, which is scheduled to enter volume production in late 2027. It’s common for foundries to offer multiple variants of a node, each tuned towards different applications in terms of power, performance and cost.

If corroborated, the report would debunk swirling rumors that TSMC isn’t in a hurry to adopt the next-gen EUV technology. Whereas Intel has been aggressively pushing the message that it will be first to install and adopt high-NA, the Taiwanese firm hasn’t been vague in public comments. A modelling study suggesting sub-par high-NA cost competitiveness added to the rumors.

A 2028 insertion, however, would put TSMC not far behind Intel at all. The US company’s first ‘high-NA node’, called Intel A14, node has been tentatively scheduled to start in 2026, although it will likely be well into 2027 before it reaches high-volume status. Depending on TSMC’s A14P ramp, the deficit could be as little as a year.

Digitimes writes that TSMC is finalizing a roadmap along with a purchasing plan for 0.33-NA and high-NA equipment from ASML for the next five years. Reportedly, ASML’s biggest logic customer has negotiated a discount.