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The production of 2nm GAA wafers is not possible without ASML’s current EUV equipment, and the Dutch firm is reportedly forming a team to help Samsung with the installation of this hardware, as the Korean giant is said to begin operations at its Taylor plant soon. The facility will soon churn out high-performance AI chips and other silicon using the aforementioned lithography, with the first product expected to be the Exynos 2600. ASML expects Samsung’s foundry business to fully recover when the Taylor plant begins operations next year The EUV equipment manufacturer has recently put up a job advertisement for a ‘field service engineer’ in the Austin, Texas area. According to Fnnews, the requirements stated that ‘we will support the initial startup of Samsung’s EUV equipment.’ In short, the company is forming a team that will enable the Korean technology behemoth to accelerate its plans to set up equipment vital for 2nm GAA wafer production. One unnamed source close to the industry has stated that the Taylor plant is nearing production. “ASML’s establishment of a ‘Taylor dedicated team’ can be seen as a sign that preparations for EUV installation are in full swing. It shows that the Taylor plant is getting closer to entering the actual operation phase.” In addition to a dedicated team, ASML is forming a separate’ field service team’ that will be responsible for equipment installation and testing just before this paraphernalia is delivered to the site. Without this hardware, it is next to impossible for Samsung to kickstart 2nm GAA production. The company was previously reported to have commenced mass manufacturing of the Exynos 2600 by the end of September, though the initial volume was only said to be 15,000 monthly units. Samsung’s progress with its 2nm GAA node can be expedited by purchasing several of ASML’s EUV machines, with the acquisition also helping to improve yields in the long run. Qualcomm was reported to have received Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 samples on the 2nm GAA process for evaluation purposes, hinting that if yields improve, the chipset maker could finally add Samsung as a foundry partner. News Source: Fnnews
