Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is expected to rapidly strengthen cooperation with ZEISS in the semiconductor sector as he visits the ZEISS headquarters in Oberkochen, Germany, to inspect parts and equipment.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong visited the ZEISS headquarters in Oberkochen, Germany on the 26th and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the two companies with CEO Karl Lamprecht and other executives.

ZEISS is a global optics company that holds over 2,000 key patents related to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology, which is essential for advanced semiconductor production, and is the exclusive supplier of optical systems mounted on ASML's EUV equipment.

More than 30,000 Zeiss parts go into a single EUV machine.

The chairman discussed key semiconductor technology trends and the two companies’ mid- to long-term technology roadmaps with Zeiss executives, and visited Zeiss’s factory to see firsthand how the latest semiconductor components and equipment are produced.

The visit to Zeiss headquarters was accompanied by executives in charge of semiconductor production technology, including Song Jae-hyeok, CTO of Samsung Electronics DS Division, and Nam Seok-woo, President of Manufacturing & Technology at Samsung Electronics DS Division.

Samsung Electronics and ZEISS have agreed to further expand their cooperation in future EUV technology and advanced semiconductor equipment to strengthen their competitiveness in the foundry and memory businesses.

Samsung Electronics is leading the 3nm or less ultra-fine process market in the foundry market based on its EUV technology, and plans to mass-produce 6th generation 10nm-class DRAMs by applying the EUV process within the year.

Samsung Electronics expects to enhance its business competitiveness by achieving ▲performance improvement, ▲production process optimization, and ▲yield improvement of next-generation semiconductors through technical cooperation with Zeiss.

Zeiss plans to invest 48 billion won by 2026 to establish an R&D center in Korea, and as Zeiss establishes an R&D base in Korea, the strategic cooperation between the two companies is expected to be further strengthened.