SK Hynix is revving-up for next-gen chipmaking with a whooping $8 billion deal for ASML’s extreme ultraviolet (EUV) scanners, set to roll out through 2027.
This blockbuster purchase of 11.95 trillion won ($7.97 billion) is known to be the biggest single EUV Scanners order any ASML customer has ever made public, per regulatory filings.
The goal is known to ramp up production of advanced memory chips to meet skyrocketing AI demand by December 2027.
Fueling HBM and DRAM Growth
Analysts figure it’s about 30 machines headed to two key South Korean sites, the M15X fab in Cheongju (optimized for AI-critical high-bandwidth memory, or HBM) and the new Yongin Semiconductor Cluster, which is speeding toward early 2027 operations.
NH Investment & Securities analyst Ryu Young-ho points out these tools will power both HBM for AI accelerators and next-gen DRAM on SK Hynix‘s cutting-edge 1c process node.
It fits perfectly with their recent High-NA EUV rollout and fab expansions to keep up with giants like Nvidia.
ASML’s Order Book Explodes in Chip Wars
ASML, the only game in town for sub-3nm EUV tech closed 2025 with a whopping €38.8 billion ($42B) backlog, driven by memory titans like SK Hynix battling Samsung and Micron. Their shares jumped 0.9% on the news, signaling strong faith in AI-fueled growth.
With AI datacenters devouring HBM, this positions SK Hynix to lock in its edge and they might even pursue a U.S. listing to bankroll more expansion.
Keep watching; this could turbocharge the entire memory supply chain.
