1. Challenging 5nm Single Exposure! ASML Collaborates with Zeiss to Develop Next-Generation Hyper NA EUV Equipment
On June 29, it was reported thatthe world’s largest semiconductor equipment leader ASML has begun developing the next-generation Hyper NA EUV advanced lithography machine, preparing for the chip industry over the next decade.The company’s Technical Executive Vice President Jos Benschop revealed that ASML, along with its exclusive optical partner Zeiss, has initiated the development of a 5-nanometer resolution Hyper NA lithography machine, adding that this technology will be sufficient to meet industry demands in 2035 and beyond.
ASML has only recently started shipping the industry’s most advanced equipment, which can achieve single exposure at 8-nanometer resolution. In contrast, older equipment requires multiple exposures to achieve similar resolutions.
Benschop pointed out that the company is conducting design research with Zeiss, aiming to achieve a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.7 or higher, with no specific market launch timeline set yet.
The numerical aperture (NA) is a key indicator of an optical system’s ability to collect and focus light, and it is also a critical factor in determining whether circuit patterns can be finely projected onto wafers. The larger the NA and the shorter the wavelength of light, the higher the printing resolution.
Currently, the standard EUV equipment has an NA of 0.33, while the latest generation High NA EUV has increased to 0.55. ASML is moving towards an NA of 0.7 or ultra-high NA (Hyper NA), which requires redesigning several key systems.
ASML has already delivered the first batch of High NA EUV equipment to Intel and TSMC, but Benschop stated that large-scale adoption will still take time, as the industry must first validate the performance of the new system and develop supporting materials and tools before full-scale deployment can begin. “The introduction of this new equipment is similar to the innovative tools launched over the years, which typically take several years to enter mass production. Customers need to learn how to operate it, but I believe it will soon be used in high-capacity chip manufacturing processes.”
2. Samsung Unveils First 3nm GAA Chip Exynos 2500
On June 23, Samsung officially released its new generation flagship processor Exynos 2500. This chip is manufactured using advanced 3nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process technology, providing better power efficiency and enhanced heat dissipation through fan-out wafer-level packaging (FOWLP), while significantly reducing chip thickness. The CPU adopts a 1+7+2 architecture, consisting of 1×3.3GHz ultra-large core, 2×2.74GHz large cores, 5×2.36GHz large cores, and 2×1.8GHz small cores, with large core performance improved by 15% compared to the previous generation. The GPU is a custom fourth-generation Xclipse 950, leveraging AMD’s RDNA 3 architecture, with ray tracing performance enhanced by 28% through a dual shader engine structure.
Additionally, it features a 24K MAC NPU and DSP AI engine, with the NPU capable of performing 590 trillion operations per second (TOPS), representing a 39% improvement in AI performance over the previous generation. It supports cameras with up to 320 million pixels, allowing for 8K video recording and playback at 60fps and 30fps. In terms of communication, the Exynos 2500’s 5G NR modem supports the latest 3GPP Rel. 17 standard and non-terrestrial network (NTN) capabilities, enabling connectivity via satellite in cellular network blind spots. This chip is expected to debut in the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7.
3.SEMI Predicts Strong Momentum for Global Semiconductor Manufacturing Industry
On June 25, SEMI released its latest “300mm Wafer Fab Outlook Report,” indicating that the global semiconductor manufacturing industry is expected to maintain strong growth momentum. From the end of 2024 to 2028, global semiconductor capacity is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7%, reaching a historical high of 11.1 million wafers per month. The key driver of this growth is the continuous expansion of advanced process capacity (7nm and below), which is expected to grow by approximately 69%, increasing from 850,000 wafers per month in 2024 to 1.4 million wafers per month in 2028, with a CAGR of about 14%, double the industry average.
SEMI anticipates that advanced process capacity will reach a significant milestone in 2026, surpassing one million wafers per month for the first time, with a capacity of 1.16 million wafers. Furthermore, the deployment of 2nm and below capacity shows a more positive expansion trend throughout the forecast period, with capacity expected to increase from less than 200,000 wafers per month in 2025 to over 500,000 wafers per month in 2028. This reflects the strong market demand driven by AI applications in advanced manufacturing.
4. New Generation Beidou Positioning Chip Released in Wuhan
On June 26, domestic leading Beidou navigation chip company Wuhan Dream Chip Technology Co., Ltd. launched a new generation of high-precision SoC chips—Dream® MX2740A (full system, full frequency) and Qiming® IV MX2730A (full system, multi-frequency), while also debuting two Beidou 2.0 chips (MX2740, MX2730) in the country.
This chip achieves multiple technological breakthroughs, being the world’s smallest full system, full frequency chip, with a size reduction of 50% compared to similar products and a power consumption reduction of 40%; Beidou signal capture speed is improved by 20 times, with a cold start time of less than 5 seconds, reaching internationally leading levels. Additionally, this chip has full frequency independent capture and tracking capabilities, supporting mainstream low-orbit and high-orbit satellite enhanced signals, and its unique Smart Suppress® multi-level anti-interference technology significantly enhances reliability and adaptability.
Based on the MX2740 and MX2730 series chips, Dream Chip Technology simultaneously released module solutions for twenty-four major fields, covering industry applications and consumer applications such as smart lawn mowers, drones, precision agriculture, intelligent driving, disaster monitoring, etc., achieving high precision, high reliability, permanent online, real-time response, anti-interference, and low power consumption integration.
5. TSMC Captures 35% Share of Global Foundry 2.0 Market, Intel Only 6.5%
On June 24, it was reported that market research firm Counterpoint Research released a new study indicating that in the first quarter of 2025, the global Foundry 2.0 market revenue reached $72 billion, a 13% increase compared to the same period last year, primarily benefiting from strong demand for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) chips, further driving the application of advanced processes (such as 3nm and 4nm) and advanced packaging technologies.
The concept of “Foundry 2.0” was proposed by TSMC during its second-quarter earnings call in July 2024. In contrast, the traditional concept of “foundry” is limited to “wafer manufacturing outsourcing,” but now, as chip manufacturing becomes increasingly complex, foundries have long since departed from the original simple wafer manufacturing outsourcing category. The entire production process now also includes packaging, testing, photomask production, and other parts. For example, many AI chips and high-performance computing chips now not only provide photomask production and wafer manufacturing services but also offer advanced packaging and testing services. Additionally, some IDM manufacturers have begun to offer foundry services externally. This has effectively broken the original definitions of foundry outsourcing, packaging and testing factories, and IDMs.
Therefore, TSMC believes that “Foundry 2.0” includes packaging, testing, photomask production, and others, as well as all integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) excluding memory chip manufacturers, making this definition more comprehensive. “In TSMC’s view, the new definition better reflects TSMC’s continuously expanding market opportunities (addressable market). However, TSMC will only focus on the most advanced back-end packaging technology, which will help TSMC’s customers manufacture forward-looking products.
Thus, from the overall first quarter of the Foundry 2.0 market, the market revenue reached $72 billion, a 13% increase compared to the same period last year. If we look at the segmented market, traditional foundry market revenue increased by 26% year-on-year;non-memory IDM market revenue decreased by 3%;the packaging and testing (OSAT) industry performed relatively moderately, with revenue increasing by about 6.8% year-on-year;the photomask market showed good resilience due to the advancement of 2nm processes and the increased complexity of AI/Chiplet designs, with a year-on-year growth of 3.2%.