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As EUV machines are now essential for pushing sub-2nm chips into mass production in the angstrom era, partnerships with ASML remain a key industry focus. However, according to etnews, ASML and Samsung appear to have dropped plans for their joint EUV research center in Hwaseong, as ASML has begun selling off the designated site.
While the move has sparked questions about the strength of the ASML-Samsung partnership, etnews reports that the two are actually eyeing a new location for the joint R&D center—outside of Hwaseong. To speed things up, they’re also considering more efficient alternatives, including setting up the facility within a Samsung campus, the report indicates.
As per a previous CNBC report, ASML and Samsung unveiled a joint 1 trillion won ($760M) plan back in 2023 to build an EUV research center near Seoul—an announcement that lined up with former President Yoon’s visit to the Netherlands to boost chip ties.
As highlighted by etnews, originally, ASML had purchased land in Hwaseong to build the facility. In June last year, it reportedly signed a deal to acquire six plots totaling around 19,000 square meters. However, the Dutch chipmaking tool titan is said to have sold off two of the land plots and is looking to offload two more.
South Korea Tops ASML’s Market, Ahead of China and the US
South Korea is a key market for ASML, and it is reasonable to believe that the two companies would remain in close collaboration as Samsung pushes for breakthroughs in advanced nodes. In fact, according to ASML’s earnings report, South Korea became ASML’s largest market in Q1 2025, making up 40% of its total revenue, up from 25% in Q4 2024.
As noted by Korean media outlet The Financial News, Samsung brought in its first High-NA EUV equipment, the EXE:5000, to its Hwaseong campus in early March.
Another report from the bell unveils that Samsung has successfully achieved a higher-than-expected initial yield of over 30% in its SF2 (2nm) test production. The company plans to stabilize the process in the second half of 2025 in preparation for the mass production of Exynos 2600, the report adds.
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(Photo credit: Samsung)
