ASML will uniformly increase the price of Samsung and SK Hynix lithography machine parts by 10%, and AI expansion will push up equipment costs.

South Korean media disclosed on October 10 that ASML has issued a notice to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix that the prices of its EUV and DUV lithography machine parts for the Korean market will be increased by 10%. The price adjustment covers expendable parts that are regularly replaced and core components needed for fault repair, specifically involving key modules such as optical systems, light sources and precision drives. After consultation with the purchasing department, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix agreed to a price increase plan, and the relevant adjustments will be officially implemented in January next year.<br /> <br /> This price adjustment is the first comprehensive and unified increase, which contrasts with ASML's previous practice of individually adjusting parts prices only due to rising raw material costs or tight supply of specific materials. At the same time, the company is negotiating with major customers on price adjustments for new equipment. According to previous reports, equipment manufacturers such as Applied Materials and Tokyo Electronics have started the process of price increases for their products, and the semiconductor equipment industry is showing a spreading trend of price increases.<br /> <br /> Investment in AI data centers has accelerated the expansion of capacity in memory chips and wafer foundries, prompting the concentrated release of demand for equipment and parts. However, suppliers have a long production expansion cycle, coupled with the pressure of inflation and rising raw material costs, and bargaining power in the equipment supply chain is tilting towards suppliers. It is worth noting that TSMC previously expressed opposition to the price increase of ASML equipment, reflecting that there are still significant differences in the acceptance of rising costs among different customers.