I recently wrote an article for Works in Progress on how ASML achieved their monopoly on EUV lithography. It was a fun excuse to go and read a load of stuff about one of the most interesting companies in the world. For people who want to go deeper into the background of ASML and EUV development, these were the sources I looked at while writing the piece.
ASML the company
ASML’s Architects: The story of the engineers who shaped the world’s most powerful chip machines (book)
Detailed account of ASML’s founding and near-death early years, from the Philips Natlab origins of Dutch lithography in the 1960s through to the IPO. Covers the key technical bets that defined the company: Munning Schmidt’s linear motor system, the decision in its very first months to outsource all manufacturing against the advice of German industry contacts, and the Zeiss partnership that began as a marriage of convenience when their existing optics supplier couldn’t keep up. Full of first-hand stories including Smit’s bluffs to win AMD as a customer, Martin van den Brink being handed control of the PAS 2500 programme barely a year out of university, a TSMC factory fire that provided vital orders at exactly the right moment, and Philips coming within a year of shutting the whole venture down before the PAS 5500 turned things around in 1993.
Focus: The ASML way – Inside the power struggle over the most complex machine on earth (book)
Account of ASML’s rise with extensive access to senior leadership including Wennink and van den Brink. Covers the origins of the outsourcing model (compared to Boeing and Airbus as a systems integrator), the customer co-investment program financing scheme Wennink devised to fund EUV development jointly with chip manufacturers, and why Japanese rivals dropped out of the EUV race not for lack of engineering talent but because no CEO would sign off on a twenty-year bet with no interim returns. Also details the Zeiss relationship, the role of government R&D subsidies in ASML’s early years, the Wassenaar Arrangement export controls, and why copying ASML’s machines is not straightforward even if you take one apart. Includes good anecdotes like Intel relocating three dairy farms whose methane was contaminating a cleanroom, and van den Brink secretly setting up a shell company to acquire immersion lithography patents.
Company overviews
Bits and chips – ASML special issue (40 years of ASML / ASML’s chief diplomat closes in on silver jubilee / The man who put the challenge in ASML’s challenge collaborate and care)
Collection of pieces from the tech publication covering ASML’s culture, financing, and supply chain management. Highlights include the observation that ASML’s reported R&D figures significantly understate actual spending because customer support is largely a development organisation, the details of how Wennink structured the Customer Co-Investment Program so that TSMC, Intel, and Samsung invested without getting any voting rights, and the reverse factoring programme ASML set up to help suppliers access working capital (banks considered semi-finished lithography parts high risk since no one would buy them at auction).
History – Over 30 years of ingenuity and perseverance
ASML’s own official company history page. Traces the arc from founding in 1984 as a Philips/ASMI joint venture through key milestones: the PAS 5500, 1995 IPO, TWINSCAN (2001), immersion lithography (2003), Brion acquisition for holistic lithography (2007), first EUV tool (2010), and Cymer acquisition (2013).
Does Europe at last have an answer to Silicon Valley?
An Economist article examining whether ASML represents Europe’s answer to Silicon Valley. Notes ASML’s 34%+ operating margin (higher than Apple), its evolution into an AI platform through installed-base data, and its unusual supplier network where over 90% of production is outsourced. Covers the ‘flywheel’ of 95% of machines sold still being in operation.
How ASML became chipmaking’s biggest monopoly
An Economist article from 2020 on how ASML achieved its near-monopoly. Covers the 1984 founding, early survival through Dutch and EU subsidies, first EUV prototypes sent to IMEC in 2006, and commercial adoption from 2018. Notes EUV was only 26 of 229 systems sold in 2019 but a third of revenue.
The Tradition of Knowledge Behind ASML
Bismarck Analysis article arguing ASML’s moat comes from ‘intellectual dark matter’ – tacit knowledge that can’t be documented or transferred. Covers the extreme physics (tin at 220,000°C, 50,000 impacts per second), the 1996 crisis when Zeiss tried selling optics to SVG, and why even with blueprints China can’t replicate the machines.
Inside the machine that saved Moore’s Law
MIT Technology Review article on EUV’s $9 billion, 17-year development journey. Covers the engineering challenges (EUV absorbed by glass and air, 100,000 parts, 3,000 cables), the breakthrough of double-blasting tin for the light source, and emerging challenges like stochastic errors as features approach quantum limits.
Chip War author discussing ASML and EUV lithography. Covers the Japanese origins of EUV physics research, Andy Grove’s early bet to fund EUV R&D, and why TSMC has outperformed Intel in recent years partly by correctly timing when EUV would be production-ready. Also touches on the computational tricks required to produce patterns at EUV scale (images used to produce a straight line don’t look like a straight line), the importance of learning by doing through close TSMC-ASML collaboration, and ASML’s growing revenue from follow-on services.
Business breakdowns – Tim Walsh
Investment perspective on ASML from one of its long-term shareholders. Covers Martin van den Brink’s rise from new joiner to head of development after just two years, the modular design philosophy that allowed incremental improvement and faster time to market, and why ASML being independent benefits the whole industry by spreading R&D costs. Also discusses the revenue mix (75 percent new machines, the rest services), customer concentration with the top two buyers accounting for over 60 percent, and the key risks: supply chain constraints, geopolitics, and the possibility of a disruptive technology shift as happened when NAND manufacturers moved to 3D stacking to avoid needing leading-edge lithography.
Deep Forest Capital Substack article providing a financial and strategic deep dive into ASML. Covers the business model, Zeiss partnership, impressive gross margins (44.7%), over 40% of employees in R&D, and the supply chain approach of keeping ~80% of spending in the Netherlands and EU.
Reflect & Imagine 20 Years of ASML – Chapter 5 1999 | 2004
A chiphistory.org chapter covering ASML’s 1999-2004 period. Discusses supply chain strategy of building a globally competitive base not overly dependent on ASML, and the long-term IMEC partnership including joint lithography assessments through EUREKA projects.
An article on design thinking methodology from the High Tech Institute. Covers Tim Brown/IDEO’s influence on customer-centric product development. Not specifically about ASML but relevant to the broader theme of out-development that characterised ASML’s approach.
EUV overview
An Introduction to EUV Lithography
A general overview of EUV Lithography and some of the technology behind it. A pretty good jumping in point.
The Physics of EUV Lithography
A deeper dive into how EUV works including overviews of the source, mirrors, photoresist, photomask. Still pretty friendly to a general audience. Lots of good pictures.
Lots more detail on some of the key pieces of tech in EUV especially the lasers used to create the light source. Some overview of the history of this including some key suppliers including Cymer, Trumpf, Zeiss. It also has some details on ASML’s approach to supply chain management.
Europe tackles tough EUV-lithography issues
Overview of some European initiatives to support EUV development including the SOCOT (Scatterometry Overlay COntrol Technology) project, as well as some descriptions of IMEC.
ASML’s own history of commercialising EUV. Great general purpose source, talks through some of the tech tree that was being looked at the same time as EUV, how EUV wasn’t initially met with lots of enthusiasm. It also talks about some of the key milestones like the EUV LLC consortium, the first functioning prototype, overcoming challenges with the power they could get from the light source as well as the Customer Co-Investment Program.
EUV LITHOGRAPHY FINALLY READY FOR CHIP MANUFACTURING 2018
An IEEE Spectrum piece from 2018 reporting on EUV finally reaching commercial readiness. Covers the physical scale of the machines (80 square meters, 1 megawatt power draw for just tens of watts of EUV light), how EUV reduces lithographic steps (from 15 to 5 for 7nm), and the long struggle with light source power. Good for getting a sense of the engineering involved.
Nanoimprint Lithography Disruption–Canon vs. ASML rivalry unfolds
Covers Canon’s nanoimprint lithography (NIL) as an alternative to ASML’s EUV. Traces how Japanese companies Canon and Nikon lost the lithography market to ASML, explains basic photolithography concepts, and describes Canon’s bet on physically stamping patterns rather than projecting them with light. Also touches on the geopolitical angle of China’s dependency on ASML machines.
ASML-Zeiss, a successful partnership enabling Moore’s law 2013
A 2013 presentation PDF from ASML’s Jos Benschop on the ASML-Zeiss partnership. Includes some detail on the precision required – tilt control for EUV mirrors corresponds to hitting a point on the moon from the earth within 10cm.
Chokepoints China’s Self-Identified Strategic Technology Import Dependencies
Georgetown paper on China’s strategic technology dependencies. Includes a quote from the head of Chinese lithography firm SMEE: even if ASML gave them the blueprints, they couldn’t replicate the machines due to decades of accumulated tacit knowledge and experience.
TRUMPF EUV lithography – This all happens in one second
Short YouTube video from TRUMPF showing the EUV light generation process in real time. Gives a visual sense of the speed and complexity involved in creating EUV light.
ASML pushes Nikon on EUV development
A 2001 article capturing ASML’s Martin van den Brink publicly urging Nikon to invest more in EUV. Nikon’s president countered by championing e-beam projection lithography (EPL) as cheaper and further along. A great look into the industry split over which next-generation technology to back.
EUV Lithography to keep Moore’s Alive–managing technology risks
Detailed analysis of how EUV’s enormous development risks were managed through strategic partnerships. Covers competing next gen lithography technologies (e-beam, ion beam, nanoimprint), key government programs across the US, Japan, and Europe, ASML’s acquisitions (SVG, Cymer, Zeiss, Berlin Glass, HMI), and the Customer Co-Investment Program. Good overview of the whole development ecosystem.
EUV Lithography Historical perspective and road ahead
A 2014 academic paper from TU Eindhoven covering the historical development of EUV lithography and its future roadmap. Provides technical context for where EUV stood in terms of progress and industry adoption at that point.
The chip-making machine at the center of Chinese dual-use concerns
Brookings article examining EUV machines as a critical chokepoint in US-China technology competition. Covers the extraordinary complexity (100,000+ parts, ~$120M cost), why China cannot replicate them, and the 2019 Dutch decision to block EUV exports to China. Argues for multilateral export controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
ASML Customer co-investment program
ASML Customer Co-Investment Program
The SEC filing documenting the legal framework of ASML’s Customer Co-Investment Program. Covers contractual terms between ASML and Intel including equipment purchase commitments for 450mm and EUV tools, pricing terms, delivery milestones, and commercial discounts. Good for seeing the original deal structure.
The truth behind TSMC, Samsung & Intel investing in ASML
Blog post offering a different kind of take on the customer co-investment. Argues ASML initiated the program because it couldn’t afford both EUV and 450mm development (market cap was only €20 billion at the time). This was backed up in interviews with the ASML CEO who originated the program. Notes that TSMC sold all its shares right after the lock-up period, suggesting limited near-term confidence in EUV.
Why’s Everyone Investing in ASML? 2012
A 2012 Forbes article exploring why Intel, TSMC, and Samsung all invested in ASML simultaneously. Covers the prohibitive cost of EUV R&D, collaborative development at the University of Albany, and the tight Intel-ASML relationship.
Intel’s own press release announcing its roughly €3.3 billion investment in ASML. Details the two-phase deal covering both 450mm wafer technology and EUV, with Intel committing €829 million in R&D over five years. Includes quotes about expected 30-40% die cost reductions from the 450mm transition.
ASML is the key to Intel’s Resurrection Just like ASML helped TSMC beat Intel
A SemiWiki article arguing ASML is key to Intel’s manufacturing comeback, drawing parallels to how ASML helped TSMC overtake Intel. Describes the pivotal moment when Apple told TSMC it needed EUV and would fund it, transforming TSMC from an EUV sceptic to its biggest customer virtually overnight.
Development of EUV
EUV Lithography Vivek Bakshi, Editor – Chapter 1 historical perspective
Traces the parallel origins of EUV lithography across three regions: Hawryluk and Seppala’s 1988 proposal at LLNL, Kinoshita’s 1989 demonstration at NTT of the first pattern replication, and early European work through the FOM Institute in the Netherlands. Covers the landmark 1993 US-Japan workshop near Mt. Fuji, the formation of government-funded programmes including ASET in Japan, EUCLIDES and EXULT in Europe, and EUVA for light source development. The first commercial product made with EUV launched in 2019, 26 years after Kinoshita’s opening address at that Mt. Fuji conference.
EUV Lithography Perspective: from the beginning to HVM 2020
A 2020 SPIE conference panel featuring key EUV figures including Hiroo Kinoshita, John Carruthers (Intel), Rick Stulen (Sandia), Anthony Yen (TSMC), Jos Benschop and Martin van den Brink (ASML). Full of first-hand accounts of major milestones: the pitch to Andy Grove and Gordon Moore, the EUV LLC, TSMC’s defining experiments, and ASML’s strategic decisions. A really really great source.
Hiroo Kinoshita: Lighting the way for extreme ultraviolet lithography
SPIE profile of Hiroo Kinoshita, widely considered the father of EUV lithography. Covers his 1986 discovery of using multilayer mirrors for EUV imaging, years of scepticism from peers, the landmark 1993 US-Japan workshop near Mt. Fuji, Intel’s eventual billion-dollar bet, and Cymer’s early progress on the light source.
EUV Lithography: From the Very Beginning to the Eve of Manufacturing Anthony Yen 2016
A 2016 SPIE paper by Anthony Yen tracing EUV from origins to near-production readiness. Describes how three groups independently conceived of EUV (NTT in Japan, Bell Labs, LLNL), the DARPA-driven name change from ‘soft x-ray’ to ‘EUV’ in 1993, and Nat Ceglio’s role in recruiting industry partners.
Bits & Chips article tracing how EUV went from outsider to the industry’s preferred next generation lithography appraoch. Covers ASML’s parallel exploration of EUV, e-beam, and ion beam, and the 2001 SEMATECH conference where EUV was ranked most promising. Also explains why e-beam and ion beam ultimately failed – particle repulsion limits throughput as you increase resolution.
Curious worldview – Jos Benschop interview
Podcast interview with Jos Benschop, ASML’s SVP of Technology, who joined the company in 1997 as programme manager for next-generation lithography and initiated ASML’s early research into ion-beam, e-beam, and EUV. Covers Moore’s Law, exponential growth, and ASML’s path through competing lithography approaches.
EUV LLC
EUV Lithography Vivek Bakshi, Editor chapter 2 EUV LLC
Covers the formation of EUV LLC in 1997 after Intel stepped in to save the programme from DOE budget cuts, how the virtual company was structured and funded through $5M share purchases, and how ASML was one of three original equipment suppliers alongside SVGL and USAL while Nikon and Canon were excluded due to US government restrictions on foreign participation. A great case study in how a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA)-based consortium inadvertently shaped the competitive landscape for EUV commercialisation. Also details how in an unusual twist the participants of this CRADA got the rights to the IP, which ended up creating a huge moat for ASML once they became the only semiconductor equipment manufacturer left who participated in the LLC.
Academic paper analysing the EUV LLC as a case study in national technology policy. Examines US concerns about dependence on Japanese lithography suppliers (Nikon ~45-50%, Canon ~25% in 1996) and the controversy over whether ASML should be allowed to participate. Argues ASML’s inclusion was essential to break the Japanese duopoly.
Ultratech has no plans to pursue EUV, but will push lithography tools for niche markets, says CEO – 2001
A 2001 EE Times article quoting Ultratech’s CEO on why they couldn’t pursue EUV – estimating it would require $100-500 million. Notable because Ultratech owned USAL, one of the original equipment manufacturers in the EUV LLC.
Foreign Participation in US-Funded R&D: the EUV Project as a New Model for a New Reality 1998
A 1998 academic paper examining the controversy over ASML’s participation in the US-funded EUV project. Provides mid-1990s market share data (Nikon ~45-50%, Canon ~25%, ASML ~20%, SVGL <5%) and argues allowing ASML was needed to create competition and prevent US chipmakers depending on a sole supplier.
U.S. gives ok to ASML on EUV effort
EE Times article reporting on the US government allowing ASML into the EUV program. Covers the conditions: ASML agreed to build a US factory, establish a US R&D centre, and source 55% of components for US-sold EUV systems from American suppliers.
Product development / competitors
Academic paper by Hiroyuki Chuma examining why ASML’s modular system-integrator approach outperformed vertically integrated Japanese rivals. Introduces ‘interim modularity’ – how modular design provides communication benefits during R&D of extremely complex systems, enabling better collaboration with partners like IMEC and Zeiss.
Stratechery article on the political dimensions of the semiconductor industry. Notes that TSMC, backed by Apple’s commitment, adopted EUV in 2014 and delivered the first EUV-derived chips in 2019 for the iPhone.
Organisational Investment: The Case of ASML—Can the Product Make the Producer?
Academic journal article analysing ASML’s development through ‘organisational investment’. Covers how the customer co-invesment program was born of necessity (‘we didn’t have the money’), key acquisitions, and how it helped customers outperform rivals like GlobalFoundries. Good data on R&D spending growth and the system-integrator model.
Nikon said to be delaying EUV lithography development 2009
A 2009 EDN article reporting Nikon was putting EUV development on hold. Meanwhile, ASML’s partner IMEC was demonstrating 22nm SRAM with ASML’s EUV alpha tool. A key moment where the gap between ASML and Nikon on EUV became more obvious.
Intel Deal Positive for ASML and Semiconductor Industry 2012
A 2012 Fitch Ratings analysis of Intel’s ASML investment. Notes Intel’s €830M R&D commitment (roughly 2/3 for 450mm, 1/3 for EUV), predicts such partnerships would consolidate the industry further, and that Intel was also supporting Nikon’s 450mm tools simultaneously. Talks about the advance purchase commitments created as part of the customer co-investment programme.
How ASML Won Lithography (& Why Japan Lost)
Asianometry YouTube video covering ASML’s rise and why Japanese rivals fell behind. Discusses TWINSCAN (2001), immersion lithography (2003), and EUV alongside structural factors: ASML’s software superiority, loss of key Japanese customers, Nikon and Canon’s failure to look ahead, and ASML’s stronger collaboration with IMEC.
Compounding Curiosity Podcast: ASML & EUV Deep Dive with Asianometry
Conversation with Jon from Asianometry covering the technical and economic challenges of EUV. Discusses why EUV machines are so expensive to run (one machine uses as much energy as ten DUV machines, and a single TSMC fab consumes as much energy as Costa Rica), why mask defects and the need for vacuum were among the biggest engineering challenges, and how 3D DRAM and 3D NAND could reduce dependence on leading-edge lithography. Also covers why ASML can’t simply compete with TSMC (they don’t know how to use the machine, only how to build it), why it would take roughly 15 years and $10 billion to replicate an EUV machine from scratch, and the estimate that the majority of semiconductors running the world economy are made on old, unglamorous fabs.
Nikon doesn’t feel threatened by ASML and Canon targets, say executives 2001
A 2001 EDN article capturing Nikon’s confidence that it wasn’t threatened by ASML despite the SVG acquisition. Nikon was pursuing 157nm and electron photolithography as its next-gen lithography strategy. Analysts warned if EUV won and electron photolithography faltered, Nikon could trail by decade’s end, which is exactly what happened.
ASML acquires SVG, becomes largest litho supplier 2000
A 2000 EE Times article on ASML’s $1.6 billion acquisition of SVG, making ASML the largest lithography supplier. Two key strategic assets gained: SVG’s catadyoptic lens technology patents, and SVG’s relationship with Intel (an SVG customer but not an ASML customer at the time).
The Race for Technological Dominance: How Japan Almost Won the EUV Lithography Game 🏁🔬
LinkedIn article examining Japan’s extensive but ultimately unsuccessful EUV efforts. Describes how the 2008 financial crisis devastated Canon (profits fell 60%+) and Nikon, leading them to cut R&D and put EUV on hold. Estimates Japan invested $5-10 billion from 1999-2012 across fragmented consortia.
Driving development with the hand brake on
Bits & Chips article examining why EUV took over a decade from first alpha tools (2006) to production. Two main stumbling blocks: tin debris on the collector mirror (solved via hydrogen curtaining) and working in vacuum (EUV light absorbed by gases). Also covers ASML’s Cymer acquisition and the co-investments as turning points.
Developing EUV Lithography for High-Volume Manufacturing—A Personal Journey ANTHONY YEN
Anthony Yen’s first-person IEEE account of leading TSMC’s EUV adoption. Covers sending researchers to IMEC, ordering the NXE:3100 and NXE:3300 despite low source power, the pivotal October 2014 experiment reaching 90W, forming ‘One Team’ with ASML to halve tin droplet volume, and achieving 500 wafers/day. Includes his quote to a question, “What’s your plan B?” “There is no plan B!”
Annual reports
SVG’s 1999 SEC filing provides financial details about Silicon Valley Group before its acquisition by ASML. Notably showing SVG was losing money at the time.
Nikon’s 2012 annual report showing an uptick in R&D spending after years of post-financial-crisis cuts. One of the last Nikon reports to mention EUV development.
Nikon’s 2013 annual report, stating that EUV development ‘has not proceeded as planned’ and that manufacturers were considering 450mm wafers instead. EUV was not mentioned in subsequent Nikon annual reports.
2001 First mention of EUV in ASML’s annual reporting, just two years after the company began investing in EUV R&D.
2002 Intel placed the industry’s first order for an EUV pre-production tool. ASML estimated the full EUV programme would cost around EUR 1 billion in R&D and acknowledged that subsidies would be needed to sustain it through difficult market conditions.
2004 ASML reduced its break-even level from 160 to approximately 130 new systems per year.
2005 Total recurring R&D spending was EUR 324 million, or 13 percent of sales.
2006 Three customer orders for EUV pre-production tools with delivery starting in 2009. R&D spending increased 19 percent year on year as ASML accelerated both immersion and EUV development.
2008 Both EUV Alpha Demo Tools passed site acceptance testing, giving key customers direct access to the technology for the first time.
2009 First shipment of the pre-production EUV system confirmed for the second half of 2010, with five orders in hand. ASML secured a EUR 200 million loan from the European Investment Bank to support EUV investment.
2010 First second-generation EUV system shipped to a customer site. Nine orders received for the third-generation high-volume system. ASML noted that genuinely new technology platforms are rare: in the prior 12 years, only EUV (2010) and TWINSCAN (1999) qualified.
2011 Five EUV pre-production tools delivered, bringing the total to six. 11 orders received for the NXE:3300. First year ASML began reporting systems backlog excluding EUV separately.
2012 Launch of the Customer Co-Investment Program focused on EUV. ASML pursued the acquisition of Cymer, noting that if the deal fell through it would need to develop the EUV light source internally at significant cost and delay. Pre-production systems had exposed over 30,000 wafers cumulatively, and source power reached 40 watts.
2013 Second and third NXE:3300B systems installed at customer sites. Second EUV unit sold.
2014 First order received for the NXE:3350B. ASML hit the customer-set target of 500 wafers per day and demonstrated 100 watt source power at 96 percent die yield. Five EUV units sold. ASML committed to upgrading the light sources on the first 11 EUV systems shipped.
2015 Agreement reached with a major US customer for a minimum of 15 EUV systems. Productivity exceeded 1,000 wafers per day on the NXE:3300B and 1,250 on the NXE:3350B. New EUV factory opened in Veldhoven. Only one system sold, suggesting the programme was still in its pre-volume phase.
2016 ASML acquired a 24.9% stake in Zeiss to support development of future EUV generations including High-NA. Productivity reached 1,500 wafers per day. 13 EUV orders placed in 2016, bringing the backlog to 18 systems worth EUR 2 billion.
2017 The self-described breakthrough year for EUV. 10 NXE:3400B systems shipped. Productivity hit 125 wafers per hour and availability exceeded 80 percent over four weeks at multiple customer sites. EUV pellicle demonstrated to withstand 250 watts.
2018 Productivity improved to over 145 wafers per hour. 18 EUV systems shipped. One customer ran over 1,000 wafers per day for more than six weeks with peaks above 2,000. ASML expected the first commercial chips with EUV layers on the market in 2019. High-NA EUV programme confirmed on track. Nikon patent settlement signed, explicitly excluding EUV products.
2019 The year EUV broke through into volume production. 26 systems shipped (four slipped into early 2020 due to supply chain delays). The NXE:3400C increased throughput to 170 wafers per hour. R&D spending reached EUR 1.97 billion or 16.7 percent of net sales. Around 5,000 suppliers in the total base, with 790 product-related suppliers accounting for 66 percent of total spend.
IMEC
IMEC offers neutral ground amid chip rivalries
An Economist article profiling IMEC as the ‘Switzerland of semiconductors’. Describes its financial model where no single firm or state dominates (Belgian government ~16%, top corporates ~4% each), enabling rivals to collaborate on pre-competitive research including EUV development.
The French Model for Cooperative Semiconductor Research: Lessons from CEA-Leti
CSIS analysis of CEA-Leti, France’s equivalent of IMEC. Examines how decades of consistent government support built a bridge between research and industry, spawning companies like STMicroelectronics and Soitec. Offers lessons for the US National Semiconductor Technology Center.
IMEC: The Semiconductor Watering Hole
Asianometry article on how IMEC operates as a collaborative semiconductor R&D hub. Explains how toolmakers like ASML test new equipment in a semi-real fab environment – a process that also serves as effective marketing. IMEC was one of the first two customers for ASML’s EUV Alpha Demo Tool in 2006.
Electron photolithography
Joint development agreement announced to advance SCALPEL lithography 1999
ASML’s own 1999 press release announcing a consortium (with Applied Materials, Lucent, Motorola, Samsung, TI) to develop SCALPEL e-beam lithography. An interesting historical document showing ASML was hedging its bets on multiple NGL technologies simultaneously.
EUV gains as ASML/Applied venture ends e-beam lithography work 2001
A 2001 EE Times article on the dissolution of eLith LLC, the ASML/Applied Materials joint venture for e-beam lithography. A pivotal moment – key customers said they preferred EUV, and the throughput/cost issues with e-beam made it unviable. Also covers IBM and Nikon’s competing PREVAIL e-beam system.
ASML pushes Nikon on EUV development 2001
Same source as the earlier ASML pushes Nikon entry. Captures the 2001 debate between van den Brink advocating EUV (80 wafers/hour, $35k masks, $30m machines by 2007) and Nikon’s Yoshida backing electron photolithography. Van den Brink also explained why ASML dropped electron photolithography: no mask consensus, no unified effort, and costs not actually cheaper.
Direct write electron beam lithography: a historical overview
Academic paper with a comprehensive history of electron beam lithography as a competing approach to EUV. Covers Bell Labs’ SCALPEL and IBM’s PREVAIL projects, and how the window for electron photolithography closed when immersion lithography arrived faster than expected.
Neil Hacker 