ASML, a global semiconductor manufacturing giant, recently showcased its latest chip manufacturing equipment – the High-NA Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine. This colossal machine, valued at 350 million euros (approximately 2.72 billion CNY as noted by DiskMFR), weighs as much as two Airbus A320 aircraft and is proclaimed by ASML to be an essential item for chip manufacturers participating in the artificial intelligence boom.
The system has already received an order from Intel Corporation, with the first unit having arrived at its D1X factory in Oregon at the end of last year. Intel plans to start using this system for production by the end of 2025.
The high-NA EUV lithography machine can etch lines only 8 nanometers wide on semiconductors, which is 1/1.7 the size of the previous generation. Thinner lines mean that chips can accommodate more transistors, thereby achieving faster processing speeds and higher storage capacity, which is crucial for artificial intelligence workloads.
ASML’s CEO, Peter Wennink, said in an interview with Bloomberg last month, “Artificial intelligence requires a lot of computational power and data storage. I believe it would be impossible without ASML, without our technology. This will become a major driving force in our business.”
As the only supplier that manufactures equipment for the most advanced semiconductors, ASML’s product demand is seen as a barometer of the industry’s health. The company received a record order for top-tier EUV lithography machines last quarter, reflecting the optimistic expectations of major clients, including Intel, Samsung Electronics, and TSMC, for the technology.
Monique Mols, a spokesperson for ASML, stated during a media tour at the company’s headquarters in Veldhoven, Netherlands, that installing the 150,000 kg system took a total of 6 months, requiring 250 containers and 250 engineers.
Since the launch of ChatGPT by OpenAI at the end of last year, the development of generative artificial intelligence has sparked growth expectations in the entire semiconductor industry. ASML has been selling low numerical aperture EUV lithography machines since 2018, priced at 170 million euros (currently about 1.32 billion CNY).
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