Samsung Electronics has postponed the delivery of ASML's EUV lithography machines, affecting its $17 billion factory project in Texas. The project aims to expand Samsung's contract chip manufacturing capabilities to challenge TSMC. The delayed delivery reflects a widening gap between Samsung and its competitors, especially in high-end chip production. ASML also lowered its 2025 sales forecast due to a soft market, leading to delays in the construction of some wafer fabs
According to three informed sources, Samsung Electronics has postponed the delivery of chip manufacturing equipment from the Dutch lithography giant ASML. This equipment was originally planned for Samsung's $17 billion factory in Taylor, Texas, but Samsung has not yet secured any significant customers for this project.
Three other informed sources also mentioned that Samsung has delayed orders placed with other suppliers, prompting these suppliers to seek other clients and sending factory workers back home.
The delay in equipment delivery is another setback for Samsung Electronics' Taylor project. This project is a core goal of Samsung's Chairman Lee Jae-yong, aiming to expand the business from basic memory chips to contract chip manufacturing to challenge TSMC's dominant position in the field.
This highlights the widening gap between Samsung Electronics and competitors like TSMC or SK Hynix. Currently, these competitors are increasing the production of high-end chips to meet the growing demand in the field of artificial intelligence applications.
ASML implicated
On Tuesday of this week, the world's largest chip manufacturing equipment supplier ASML issued a profit warning and lowered its sales forecast for 2025, citing weak markets outside of artificial intelligence and noting that some wafer fab construction projects have been delayed.
Although ASML did not disclose the names of the clients delaying fab construction, media reports first indicated that Samsung has postponed the delivery of some ASML equipment.
Two sources pointed out that the equipment requested by Samsung to be delayed involves ASML's advanced chip manufacturing equipment Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUV). These machines were originally scheduled for delivery earlier this year but have not been shipped yet.
Each EUV machine costs about $200 million and is widely used to create design patterns on silicon wafers through beams, commonly used in manufacturing advanced chips for smartphones, electronic devices, and AI servers.
It is currently unclear how many EUV machines Samsung has ordered and what payment terms have been agreed upon. Some sources mentioned that Samsung has issued delay instructions but has not provided detailed information on the revised delivery schedule