TSMC extends dominance of semiconductors with 56% share of global lithography systems

Each low-numerical aperture (NA) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system costs over US$100 million, making it one of the most expensive semiconductor manufacturing tools in history. This raises a key question: How many of these advanced EUV systems does Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) possess, especially considering that the foundry giant is taking a measured approach toward next-generation high-NA EUV equipment? While TSMC and ASML have not disclosed the exact number of EUV systems TSMC has acquired, reports from AnandTech and The Register indicate that TSMC’s share of global EUV system installations has grown from 50 per cent to 56 per cent between 2020 and 2023. In response to a recent inquiry about TSMC’s adoption of high-NA EUV, The Register revealed data that has generated significant discussion on the SemiWiki forum.

In its statement to The Register , TSMC explained that it will carefully evaluate new technological innovations, such as advanced transistor structures and new tools, based on their maturity, cost, and potential benefits to customers, before considering integrating high-NA EUV systems into its mass production processes..