ASML unveils new extreme ultraviolet photolithography machine

ASML, the chip toolmaking giant, is gearing up production of its new $350 million “High NA EUV” chip-making machine to keep its lead in a $125 billion market.

The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) machine, which went on display for the first time on Friday in the Dutch headquarters of Europe’s largest tech company by market value, is aimed at Intel and other makers of the highest-end semiconductors.

ASML said it was expecting to ship a number of them this year, and there was still work to do on customising and installation.

“We keep engineering and developing and there’s a lot of work to be done to calibrate it and make sure it fits into the manufacturing system,” ASML spokesperson Monique Mols said. “There’s also a steep learning curve for us and our customers.”

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ASML is the only maker of a key technology – extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photolithography – needed to manufacture the most advanced chips.

High NA EUV is the next generation of that technology. But analysts said it was an open question how many customers are ready to switch over to the high-cost devices.

“While some chipmakers may introduce it earlier in an attempt to gain technology leadership, the majority will not adopt it until it makes sense economically,” Jeff Koch of Semianalysis, said.

Customers could choose to wait and squeeze more out of existing tools. Koch’s calculations suggested it would only become cost-effective to switch over from the older technology around 2030-2031.

Reuters/Jane