ASML and TSMC partner on 12-inch photomasks for High NA EUV

TSMC and ASML created a joint project in Monterey, California, on September 7, 2026, to shift semiconductor manufacturing toward 12-inch photomasks for High NA EUV lithography systems. Both companies announced the technical initiative right before the opening of the SPIE BACUS Conference.

The program sets a deadline to build an operational 12-inch mask pilot line by 2031 so that complete lithography toolsets can enter commercial advanced node manufacturing by 2033.

Several semiconductor fabricators preparing to implement High NA EUV technology confirmed plans to participate in the cooperative project alongside primary materials suppliers. Equipment suppliers backed the plan.

ASML Holding N.V., listed on Euronext and Nasdaq, partnered with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, traded on TWSE under 2330 and NYSE under TSM, to guide the industry away from standard 6-inch photomask tooling. While chip manufacturers will initially deploy High NA EUV machinery with conventional 6-inch masks, shifting to the expanded 12-inch dimensions will eliminate stitching constraints across exposure fields, curtail wafer processing expenses, and substantially increase fabrication throughput for commercial semiconductor manufacturing facilities. The technological update allows foundries to produce future generations of cutting-edge microprocessors with higher financial efficiency.

“We expect the adoption of High NA EUV to increase progressively along the device scaling roadmap, first using current 6-inch masks and then further supported by 12-inch masks, which enable greater scanner productivity and allow the industry to meet the demand for smaller, faster and more energy-efficient chips,” said ASML President and Chief Executive Officer Christophe Fouquet. Fouquet added: “We are pleased by the strong initial support of semiconductor manufacturers, mask suppliers and partners for this initiative.”

“By bringing together expertise from across the industry’s value chain, we hope to keep providing the benefits of cutting-edge technology through continuous innovation that lowers barriers and puts advanced solutions accessible at scale,” said TSMC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dr. C.C. Wei, arguing that cross-industry alliances solve obstacles that individual enterprises cannot resolve alone.

TSMC schedules the deployment of ASML high-numerical-aperture hardware into mass production lines for leading nodes beginning in 2030. The foundry projects that artificial intelligence applications will require more intricate transistor architectures, increasing the volume of silicon layers that require High NA EUV exposure.

The formal announcement took place in Monterey, California, on September 7, 2026, during the run-up to the annual SPIE BACUS Conference. Engineers and executives established the schedule to stand up the 12-inch pilot fabrication line within five years. The 2033 operational target will integrate full High NA lithography tools directly into commercial chip fabrication plants.

Principal materials vendors and lithography supply chain partners attended the California gathering to declare technical backing for the mask size migration.

ASML operates its primary headquarters in Veldhoven, the Netherlands, employing more than 44,000 full-time staff across operations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the United States. The company builds semiconductor lithography equipment traded on both NASDAQ and Euronext Amsterdam under the ASML ticker.

TSMC maintains corporate headquarters in Hsinchu, Taiwan, after originating the dedicated pure-play foundry model at its founding in 1987. The Taiwanese fabricator runs manufacturing and development facilities across Asia, North America, and Europe. Its operational footprint supplies chip design firms worldwide with foundry capacity.

During 2025, TSMC fabricated 12,682 separate products across 305 individual process technologies to serve 534 commercial customers globally.