On September 9, Seoul Economic Daily reported that Samsung Electronics is set to forge a partnership with ASML, the globe's preeminent manufacturer of lithography equipment, in a bid to co-develop High Numerical Aperture (High-NA) Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology. Samsung is at the forefront of driving shifts in industry standards, with plans to transition from the 6-inch photomasks that have been in use since the 1980s to a 12-inch iteration. The tech giant is also striving to be the trailblazer in achieving mass production of DRAM utilizing High-NA EUV equipment. Samsung has its sights set on integrating this technology into DRAM production starting in 2028 and gradually extending its application to the cutting-edge 1.4-nanometer logic process. This move is aimed at fueling the growth of its wafer foundry business. Scaling up the photomask size is a strategic move to overcome the inherent limitations of EUV technology. The numerical aperture of High-NA EUV is a staggering 66% higher than that of traditional EUV, paving the way for the creation of more intricate circuit patterns. By making the switch from 6-inch to 12-inch photomasks, Samsung anticipates a boost in wafer factory production efficiency and a reduction in chip manufacturing costs.