ASML makes the extreme-ultraviolet lithography machines used to produce the most advanced computer chips.
ASML Holding is a Dutch technology company whose lithography systems project extremely detailed circuit patterns onto semiconductor wafers. Its extreme-ultraviolet, or EUV, machines use light with a wavelength of 13.5 nanometers and support production of leading-edge chips.
The company’s position is unusual because EUV systems are extraordinarily complex and depend on a global network of specialized suppliers. ASML does not manufacture finished processors such as smartphone chips; instead, it supplies crucial equipment to semiconductor manufacturers including TSMC, Samsung, and Intel.
ASML is frequently listed among the world’s most valuable companies by market capitalization because advanced chips power smartphones, data centers, artificial intelligence, and other industries. Its name is derived from the company’s original Dutch name, Advanced Semiconductor Materials International.