SK Hynix placed one of the biggest chip equipment orders ever recorded, committing nearly $8 billion to secure EUV machines from ASML. The move is driven by surging demand for high-bandwidth memory used in AI hardware.
SK hynix Inc. (000660.KS)
The South Korean chipmaker filed the order with regulators on Tuesday, confirming it will purchase 11.95 trillion won worth of extreme ultraviolet lithography tools from ASML by December 31, 2027.
It is the largest single EUV order ever publicly disclosed by an ASML customer.
The deal was filed with South Korean regulators as a formal disclosure, making it one of the most transparent large-scale equipment purchases in recent memory.
The EUV tools are destined for two facilities. One is SK Hynix’s new plant in Yongin, which the company is accelerating to open by February 2027. The other is the M15X plant in Cheongju, which is set up to produce high-bandwidth memory chips.
Analyst Ryu Young-ho of NH Investment & Securities confirmed the equipment will be used for both HBM and advanced DRAM production.
David Dao of Bernstein estimated the order accounts for around 30 new EUV machines over two years. That’s slightly above the 26 he had previously modeled.
EUV machines can cost hundreds of millions of dollars each. They are essential for printing the fine circuitry required in the most advanced memory chips on the market today.
ASML is the only company in the world that makes EUV systems. That monopoly position makes its order book a closely watched signal for where advanced chip production is headed.
The Dutch company declined to comment on SK Hynix’s plans but reported an order backlog of 38.8 billion euros at the end of 2025.
SK Hynix stock closed 5.7% higher on the Seoul exchange on Tuesday. The move was partly fueled by a separate Korea Economic Daily report that the company is exploring a U.S. listing that could raise up to $10 billion.
ASML stock climbed around 0.9% to 1,185.60 euros in Amsterdam by mid-morning trading.
The order reflects the pressure SK Hynix is under to stay competitive with Samsung Electronics in supplying the most advanced memory for Nvidia’s AI accelerators. Both companies are racing to secure EUV capacity ahead of expected demand growth.
SK Hynix has been accelerating its Yongin plant timeline, originally set for later in the decade, to get production online faster.
The $7.97 billion commitment locks up a meaningful chunk of ASML’s near-term production capacity for two years.
ASML also counts Samsung and TSMC among its major EUV customers, but no single publicly disclosed order has matched the scale of Tuesday’s announcement from SK Hynix.
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