HomeBlogUncategorizedU.S., Japan Lead Government-Backed EUV Push as South Korea Reportedly Lags

U.S., Japan Lead Government-Backed EUV Push as South Korea Reportedly Lags

According to South Korean media outlet ETNews, both the U.S. and Japan are actively working to introduce extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment into public-private research institutes through government-led initiatives. In contrast, South Korea’s government-driven efforts in this area remain behind those of the U.S. and Japan, the report suggests.

U.S. – NSTC Accelerates EUV Adoption

The report, citing industry sources, states that the U.S. National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) has completed installation of EUV lithography equipment at the Albany Nanotech Complex in New York and plans to begin offering services to companies since July 2025. It also notes that NSTC is reportedly preparing to introduce a High-NA EUV machine in 2026—an advanced tool essential for semiconductor processes at 2nm and below.

Due to the high cost, the report explains, SoC materials and equipment (M&E) firms typically cannot afford or operate EUV tools independently. Instead, they rely on open research hubs like NSTC for development support. According to the report, NSTC was launched in February last year with $5 billion in U.S. government funding to support R&D for chipmakers and SoC M&E firms. Read More