SK hynix places record $8 billion order for ASML EUV lithography machines — should pay for up to 30 EUV machines over two years, serving HBM and advanced DRAM production

SK hynix disclosed in a regulatory filing on Tuesday that it will purchase 11.9 trillion won ($7.9 billion) worth of EUV lithography equipment from ASML by the end of 2027, as reported by Bloomberg. The deal is the largest single EUV order ever publicly disclosed by an ASML customer, and it runs through December 2027. SK hynix said the tools are intended for mass production of next-gen products as the company races to expand capacity for AI-driven memory demand.

Bernstein analyst David Dao estimates that the order covers approximately 30 new EUV machines over two years, slightly above his prior forecast of 26. The scanners will be deployed across two facilities: SK hynix's M15X plant in Cheongju, which is focused on producing HBM chips, and the new Yongin Semiconductor Cluster, which will handle advanced DRAM. Ryu Young-ho, a senior analyst at NH Investment & Securities, told Reuters that the equipment is expected to serve both HBM and advanced DRAM production.

SK hynix accelerated the Yongin timeline earlier this year, moving the first cleanroom opening from May to February 2027. The company committed a total of 31 trillion won ($21.5 billion) to the Yongin Phase 1 fab, which will eventually house two building shells and six cleanrooms. M15X, meanwhile, began deploying wafers in February after its first clean room opened in October of last year.

ING analyst Marc Hesselink noted in a client note that the order contains a "pull-in element" designed to lock down ASML equipment supply ahead of competitors. SK hynix is likely to increase spending on the less advanced DUV lithography machines separately, where lead times are shorter at three to six months, Hesselink added.

ASML, which announced plans to cut some 1,700 managerial roles back in January, reported a €38.8 billion order backlog at the end of 2025. Samsung and TSMC are also major buyers of EUV equipment, and all three major memory makers are expanding capacity as AI infrastructure buildout continues to strain global DRAM and HBM supply.

SK hynix currently holds more than 60% of the global HBM market and is a primary supplier to Nvidia, but Samsung is ramping its own EUV-based HBM production aggressively. SK hynix announced a separate $13 billion advanced packaging facility in Cheongju earlier this year to handle the downstream assembly of HBM chips produced at M15X.

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