Asia Tech Wire (Nov 1) -- TSMC will receive its first batch of the world's most advanced chip-making machines from Dutch firm ASML by the end of this year, just a few months after U.S. rival Intel, according to Nikkei.

The High Numerical Aperture (High NA) Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, which are the world's most expensive chip-making equipment, costing about $350 million each, which TSMC will use to produce its next-generation semiconductors.

TSMC will install the new High NA EUV lithography machines this quarter at its research and development center near its headquarters in Hsinchu, Taiwan, sources said.

The people revealed that TSMC may not consider using these machines for commercial production until after it launches its A10 production technology, possibly after 2030.

The A10 technology is about two generations ahead of TSMC's 2nm technology, which it plans to put into production by the end of 2025.

Intel installed its first High NA EUV lithography machine at its R&D center in Oregon, U.S., in December 2023 and has been testing it in preparation for commercial production.

In the second quarter of 2024, ASML shipped the second High NA EUV lithography machine to Intel.