Samsung Electronics is going to introduce Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment to its semiconductor foundry’s process. The company plans to surpass its competitors such as TSMC by using the new high-tech process. It is planning to expand its 200mm (8-inch) foundry business to its fabless customers.

Samsung is planning to purchase NXE3400, which is EUV lithography equipment for mass-production, from Netherland’s ASML. After finishing installation of NXE3400 during second and third quarter of next year, the company plans to start utilizing the ne equipment for mass-producing 7-nano chips at the end of next year.

Exposure can physically draw patterns down to 38-nano chips. As a result, the semiconductor businesses has been using the multi-patterning method that draws circuit patterns two or three times when they produce 30nm or smalller semiconductor chips. However, the procesure is time consuming and cannot be relaibly used to draw a perfect pattern for 7nm chips.

EUV is electromagnetic wave that is located in the middle of UV and X-line. Since the wavelength is short at 13.5nm, it is possible to draw circuit patterns that are shorter than 10 nanometers with a single pass.