Samsung’s 2025 CapEx increase is heavily weighted toward EUV, especially for foundry nodes below 3nm, while ArFi remains essential for DRAM and legacy logic—but with a smaller share.
Here’s the breakdown:
CapEx Allocation Trends
- Samsung’s total semiconductor CapEx for 2025 is projected to rise, driven by AI demand, advanced packaging, and sub-3nm foundry ramp.
- EUV lithography (including low-NA and high-NA) is receiving the bulk of lithography-related CapEx, especially for 1.4nm foundry development and advanced logic nodes.
- High-NA EUV tools, costing over KRW 500 billion (~USD 370 million) each.
- ArFi lithography still plays a role in DRAM and legacy logic, especially for 3D DRAM architectures, which do not require EUV. Samsung is cautious about deploying EUV in DRAM due to cost and roadmap shifts.
Strategic Implications
- Foundry CapEx (EUV-heavy): Focused on 1.4nm and below, with EUV dominating mask and etch budgets.
- Memory CapEx (ArFi-heavy): DRAM roadmap (6F² ? 4F² ? 3D DRAM) favors ArFi, especially as vertical stacking reduces litho complexity.
- Packaging and HBM: Additional CapEx is flowing into TSV and advanced packaging lines, not directly tied to lithography.
Samsung’s litho spend is bifurcated: EUV for logic, ArFi for DRAM. If you're tracking tool vendors or node competitiveness, this split is crucial. Want to map how this affects ASML’s backlog or Nikon’s ArFi share :Copilot |
