For fabs, the most important equipment is the lithography machine, and now the EUV lithography machine has been monopolized by ASML, and if you want to engage in the manufacture of advanced process chips, you must first use the EUV lithography machine. Considering the limited production capacity of EUV lithography machines, major wafer manufacturers hope to be able to start the latest generation of lithography machines at the first time, thereby increasing the production capacity of their own wafers, which is also the experience of the strength of these wafer foundries. Among them, the important customers of EUV lithography machine are TSMC, Intel and Samsung, of which TSMC and Samsung are currently engaged in wafer foundry business, Intel's foundry business has not officially started, so most of the EUV equipment has entered the hands of TSMC and Samsung. Of course, Intel is also constantly purchasing EUV lithography machines to meet the manufacturing of advanced process wafers.
Recently, foreign media editors were invited to visit Intel's D1X factory in Oregon, and found several EUV lithography machines purchased by Intel, of course, the specific number of EUV lithography machines, the editor of the media did not disclose, after all, this is a trade secret. Intel has said it has introduced a batch of EUV equipment, but in the Irish fab, and the Irish fab can be engaged in the manufacture of Intel 4 process wafers in the future. In other words, the traditional 7nm process process, naturally need to use the latest EUV lithography machine, it is expected that in 2024 on the 14th generation Core processor, you can see the Intel 4 process based on the Intel EUV lithography machine.
In addition, Intel has also previously said that it will make efforts in the field of wafer foundry, so a large number of applications of EUV lithography machines can effectively increase the production capacity of advanced process chips.