Securing equipment emerges as new variable for Korea's chip expansion plans

ASML warned during an earnings call Wednesday that planned production increases for advanced chipmaking equipment may not meet customer demand in 2027 and 2028. The warning introduces equipment availability as a potential constraint on semiconductor cluster expansions in Yongin and Jeonnam-Gwangju. ASML plans to increase capacity by 30 percent in each of 2027 and 2028, while customers are showing interest in orders for 2029 and 2030.

The equipment capacity increases cover low-numerical-aperture extreme ultraviolet lithography systems and deep ultraviolet immersion systems used in advanced semiconductor production.

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are planning fabrication facilities in Yongin, while both companies also plan large-scale manufacturing sites in Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City.

Semiconductor equipment orders typically have lead times of 18 months to two years, meaning current supply conditions largely reflect orders placed around 2025.

SK hynix is targeting October next year to begin production at its first Yongin fab, and Samsung Electronics plans to begin operations at its first Yongin fab in 2029.

ASML Chief Financial Officer Roger Dassen said the company is holding off on accepting orders for 2029 and 2030 while assessing customer readiness and its ability to meet future demand.

Published Oct 17, 2026 12:00 pm KST

ASML not accepting orders for 2029, 2030

ASML’s EXE:5000 in the High NA Lab in Veldhoven, the Netherlands / Courtesy of ASML

Securing equipment for manufacturing advanced memory chips is emerging as a new variable in Korea's plans to expand semiconductor production capacity through large-scale industrial clusters, after ASML, the dominant supplier of advanced chipmaking equipment, warned that its current production plans may not be sufficient to meet demand in 2027 and 2028.

During its earnings call Wednesday, ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet said the company's plans to increase its production capacity for advanced chipmaking equipment by 30 percent in 2027 and another 30 percent in 2028 would likely not be enough to meet customer demand.

“Last quarter, we talked about 30 percent more capacity next year, and also the aspiration to have another 30 percent increase in 2028,” Fouquet said. “But to be honest, it's becoming very clear that 30 percent in 2027, 30 percent in 2028 will not allow us to meet our customer demand.”

According to the company, the planned capacity increases cover both low-numerical-aperture extreme ultraviolet (low-NA EUV) lithography equipment and deep ultraviolet (DUV) immersion systems.

An SK hynix semiconductor fab under construction in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Aug. 11 / Joint Press Corps

EUV equipment is used to produce extremely fine circuit patterns for advanced semiconductor chips, while DUV immersion systems are used for a broader range of patterning processes. Both are critical to manufacturing high-performance memory chips produced by companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.

“So a lot of our discussions with our customers now are shifting in fact beyond 2027,” Fouquet said. “A lot of order intake for 2028. But also some strong interest to already place orders for 2029 and sometimes even 2030."

The supply bottleneck anticipated by ASML could become a major variable in Korea's ongoing plans to build large-scale semiconductor industrial complexes in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City.

In Yongin, two separate semiconductor clusters are planned, each housing fabrication facilities of SK hynix and Samsung Electronics. SK hynix has already begun construction of its fabrication facilities, while Samsung is scheduled to break ground later this month. Separately, the two companies plan to build large-scale semiconductor manufacturing sites in Jeonnam-Gwangju, upon the government’s push.

The two companies declined to confirm the status of their equipment orders, but industry officials said a supply bottleneck could materialize if strong demand persists beyond 2030.

“It is difficult to describe the current situation as a bottleneck. Given that ASML is expanding its production capacity, it is hard to expect that orders placed now would face delays significant enough to call it a bottleneck,” an industry official said. “However, if the current strong demand persists over the long term, supply bottlenecks could emerge.”

In the semiconductor industry, the lead time for equipment orders — the period between placing an order and receiving the equipment — typically ranges from 18 months to two years. This suggests that the current supply situation largely reflects orders placed around 2025.

The concern is that supply bottlenecks could materialize if demand remains strong or continues to grow through 2028, 2029 and 2030, coinciding with Korea's planned fab expansions.

In Yongin, SK hynix is targeting October next year for the start of production at its first fab, with equipment deliveries expected to accelerate as construction of additional fabs pick up speed. Samsung Electronics is also planning to begin operations at its first Yongin fab in 2029.

President Lee Jae Myung shakes hands with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, left, and Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong during an event at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, June 29, after announcing Korea's plan to establish large-scale semiconductor cluster in Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City. Newsis

The outlook is more uncertain for the cluster in Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City.

Although neither company has officially announced a construction or operation schedule for their planned fabs in the region, local authorities are targeting the start of construction next year and mass production in 2030. This means that if demand remains strong in the coming years, equipment deliveries to the planned facilities could face bottlenecks.

Against the backdrop, ASML Chief Financial Officer Roger Dassen told analysts that ASML is holding off on accepting orders for 2029 and 2030 while it assesses both customers' readiness and its own ability to meet future demand.

"We don't want now to accept orders from customer A, B and C and then to tell customer D, who hasn't given orders yet for 2029 and 2030, 'Sorry, we're sold out,'" Dassen told analysts on the post-earnings call.

“While policy support for the Jeonnam-Gwangju clusters has largely focused on speeding up land development and power supply, securing equipment could emerge as a new variable in how quickly the fabs come online,” another industry official said.

ASML周三在财报电话会议上警告称，其计划中的先进芯片制造设备增产可能无法满足2027年和2028年的客户需求。该警告指出，设备供应可能成为龙仁和全南光州半导体产业集群扩张的潜在制约因素。ASML计划在2027年和2028年分别增产30%，而客户对2029年和2030年的订单表现出浓厚的兴趣。

设备产能提升涵盖了用于先进半导体生产的低数值孔径极紫外光刻系统和深紫外浸没系统。

三星电子和SK海力士计划在龙仁市建设制造工厂，同时两家公司还计划在全南光州特别广域市建设大型制造基地。

半导体设备订单的交货周期通常为 18 个月到两年，这意味着目前的供应状况主要反映的是 2025 年左右下的订单。

SK 海力士计划于明年 10 月在其位于龙仁的首家工厂开始生产，而三星电子计划于 2029 年在其位于龙仁的首家工厂开始运营。

ASML首席财务官罗杰·达森表示，公司将暂停接受2029年和2030年的订单，同时评估客户的准备情况以及公司满足未来需求的能力。

发布于2026年10月17日韩国时间下午12:00

ASML 不接受 2029 年和 2030 年的订单

ASML位于荷兰费尔德霍芬高数值孔径实验室的EXE:5000打印机 / 图片由ASML提供

在先进芯片制造设备的主要供应商 ASML 警告称，其目前的生产计划可能不足以满足 2027 年和 2028 年的需求之后，确保先进存储芯片制造设备的供应正成为韩国通过大规模产业集群扩大半导体产能计划中的一个新变数。

在周三的财报电话会议上，ASML 首席执行官 Christophe Fouquet 表示，公司计划在 2027 年将其先进芯片制造设备的产能提高 30%，并在 2028 年再提高 30%，但这可能不足以满足客户的需求。

“上个季度，我们讨论了明年产能增长30%的目标，并希望在2028年再增长30%。”福凯说，“但说实话，现在越来越明显的是，2027年增长30%，2028年增长30%，都无法满足客户的需求。”

据该公司称，计划中的产能提升涵盖低数值孔径极紫外（低NA EUV）光刻设备和深紫外（DUV）浸没式系统。

8月11日，京畿道龙仁市SK海力士半导体工厂正在建设中 / 联合新闻社

EUV设备用于制造先进半导体芯片所需的极其精细的电路图案，而DUV浸没式系统则用于更广泛的图案化工艺。两者对于制造三星电子和SK海力士等公司生产的高性能存储芯片都至关重要。

“所以，我们现在与客户的很多讨论实际上都转向了2027年以后，”福凯说。“2028年的订单很多。但也有一些客户对2029年甚至2030年的订单表现出了浓厚的兴趣。”

ASML 预计的供应瓶颈可能会成为韩国在京畿道龙仁市和全南光州特别广域市建设大型半导体产业园区的计划中的一个主要变数。

在龙仁市，规划建设两个独立的半导体产业集群，分别容纳SK海力士和三星电子的制造工厂。SK海力士的制造工厂已开始建设，而三星计划于本月晚些时候破土动工。此外，在政府的推动下，这两家公司还计划在全罗南道光州建设大型半导体制造基地。

两家公司拒绝确认其设备订单的状况，但业内人士表示，如果强劲的需求持续到 2030 年以后，可能会出现供应瓶颈。

一位业内人士表示：“很难将目前的情况描述为瓶颈。鉴于ASML正在扩大产能，现在下的订单不太可能出现足以称之为瓶颈的严重延误。然而，如果目前的强劲需求长期持续下去，供应瓶颈可能会出现。”

在半导体行业，设备订单的交付周期（即从下单到收到设备的时间）通常为18个月到两年。这意味着目前的供应状况主要反映的是2025年前后的订单。

令人担忧的是，如果需求在 2028 年、2029 年和 2030 年保持强劲或继续增长，而韩国计划扩大晶圆厂规模，则可能会出现供应瓶颈。

SK海力士计划于明年10月在龙仁市的首座晶圆厂投产，随着其他晶圆厂建设速度加快，设备交付预计也将随之加速。三星电子也计划于2029年启动其位于龙仁市的首座晶圆厂的运营。

6月29日，在首尔青瓦台举行的活动上，韩国总统李在明宣布韩国计划在全罗南道光州特别广域市建立大型半导体产业集群后，与SK集团会长崔泰源（左）和三星电子执行会长李在镕握手。

全南光州特别广域市疫情集群的前景更加不明朗。

尽管两家公司都尚未正式公布其在该地区计划建设的晶圆厂的建设或运营时间表，但当地政府的目标是明年开工建设，并在2030年实现量产。这意味着，如果未来几年需求保持强劲，向计划建设的工厂交付设备可能会遇到瓶颈。

在此背景下，ASML 首席财务官 Roger Dassen 告诉分析师，ASML 正在评估客户的准备情况以及自身满足未来需求的能力，因此暂不接受 2029 年和 2030 年的订单。

“我们不想现在接受客户 A、B 和 C 的订单，然后告诉尚未下单 2029 年和 2030 年订单的客户 D，‘抱歉，我们已经售罄了’，”达森在财报电话会议上告诉分析师。

另一位业内人士表示：“虽然对全南光州产业集群的政策支持主要集中在加快土地开发和电力供应方面，但确保设备供应可能会成为晶圆厂上线速度的一个新变数。”