Key Highlights
- SK Hynix committed 11.95 trillion won (approximately $7.97 billion) to acquire EUV lithography equipment from ASML
- This represents the biggest single EUV equipment purchase ever publicly revealed by any ASML client
- Delivery is scheduled for completion by December 2027, with deployment planned at two South Korean manufacturing sites
- Industry analysts estimate the purchase encompasses approximately 30 EUV systems
- SK Hynix shares gained 5.7% following the announcement; ASML stock increased roughly 0.9% in European trading
SK Hynix has executed one of the semiconductor industry’s most substantial equipment acquisitions, pledging close to $8 billion to obtain cutting-edge EUV systems from ASML. This strategic investment responds to escalating requirements for high-bandwidth memory chips powering artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The memory chip manufacturer from South Korea submitted regulatory documentation on Tuesday, detailing its intention to acquire 11.95 trillion won in extreme ultraviolet lithography systems from ASML, with delivery scheduled through December 31, 2027.
This transaction stands as the largest individual EUV equipment commitment ever made public by any ASML client.
Filed through South Korean regulatory channels as mandatory disclosure, this acquisition represents one of the most openly documented major equipment transactions in recent semiconductor history.
Strategic Deployment Plans
The sophisticated EUV machinery will support operations at two distinct manufacturing locations. The first destination is SK Hynix’s upcoming Yongin facility, where the company has expedited the launch timeline to February 2027. The second site is the M15X manufacturing complex in Cheongju, currently configured for high-bandwidth memory chip fabrication.
Ryu Young-ho, an analyst at NH Investment & Securities, verified that this equipment will support production of both HBM and next-generation DRAM technologies.
Bernstein analyst David Dao calculated the purchase represents roughly 30 additional EUV systems spanning a two-year period. This figure exceeds his earlier projection of 26 machines.
Each EUV machine carries a price tag reaching hundreds of millions of dollars. These sophisticated tools are indispensable for creating the microscopic circuit patterns demanded by today’s most advanced memory semiconductors.
ASML maintains an exclusive global position as the sole manufacturer of EUV technology. This unique market status makes its customer orders a critical indicator of future advanced semiconductor manufacturing trends.
The Netherlands-based equipment giant chose not to discuss SK Hynix’s specific plans but disclosed a total order backlog valued at 38.8 billion euros as of year-end 2025.
Investor Response
Shares of SK Hynix concluded Tuesday’s Seoul trading session with a 5.7% gain. The rally received additional momentum from a Korea Economic Daily article suggesting the company is considering a potential U.S. stock exchange listing that could generate as much as $10 billion.
ASML shares advanced approximately 0.9% to reach 1,185.60 euros during mid-morning Amsterdam trading.
This substantial order underscores the competitive intensity SK Hynix faces against Samsung Electronics in delivering cutting-edge memory solutions for Nvidia’s artificial intelligence processors. Both Korean manufacturers are competing aggressively to reserve EUV production capacity in anticipation of expanding market demand.
SK Hynix has significantly accelerated its Yongin facility development schedule, originally planned for later this decade, to commence commercial production sooner.
The $7.97 billion financial commitment secures a substantial portion of ASML’s available manufacturing capacity for the next two years.
While ASML serves other major customers including Samsung and TSMC for EUV equipment, no previously disclosed single order has approached the magnitude of Tuesday’s SK Hynix announcement.
