US, Japan lead government-backed EUV push, as South Korea reportedly lags

According to South Korean media outlet ETNews, both the US 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 US and Japan, the report suggests.

US – 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.

Japan expands EUV push with government-led initiative
Japan is also working to enhance its technological competitiveness through government-backed efforts to adopt EUV equipment. The Japanese government is building an R&D facility equipped with EUV lithography tools at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), with operations targeted to begin in 2027, as the report points out.

South Korea reportedly struggles to keep pace in EUV R&D
Meanwhile, the report notes that South Korea announced plans two years ago to establish a “Korean version of imec” with advanced facilities, but the project has since been put on hold.

It also highlights that the “mini fab” (Trinity Fab) under construction in Yongin—led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, SK hynix, and other chipmakers—plans to adopt argon fluoride (ArF) immersion equipment instead of EUV tools.

Source: TrendForce, Taiwan.