Samsung promotes EUV pellicle development to catch up with TSMC faster

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Samsung announced its self-developed EUV pellicle at Foundry Forum 2021. Earlier this year, it independently developed a EUV pellicle with a light transmittance of 88%. According to Samsung, the EUV pellicle should have been mass-produced, which will help it diversify and stabilize its supply chain. Of course, Samsung will not be satisfied with this, after all, 88% light transmittance is not the best similar product on the market.

According to Business Korea, a recent recruitment notice issued by Samsung Semiconductor graduate students shows that they are promoting the development of EUV pellicles with a light transmittance of 92%. At present, there are also EUV pellicles with a light transmittance of 90% or above on the market. One is ASML, and the other is S&S Tech. The latter successfully developed a EUV pellicle with a light transmittance of 90% in 2021.

Samsung semiconductor R&D center

It is understood that Samsung has started research on the next-generation High-NA EUV pellicle, which will be based on new materials, and Samsung will also cooperate with external institutions to develop and evaluate EUV pellicles made of carbon nanotubes and graphene. In addition, Samsung will also promote the design of a self-developed nano graphite film mass production facility.

Samsung’s number one competitor in the foundry field, TSMC, has used its own EUV pellicle since 2019 and announced in 2021 that its EUV pellicle production capacity will increase by 20 times compared to 2019. Some insiders said that Samsung’s promotion of the development of EUV thin pellicles is to catch up with TSMC faster.

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