ASML is the world’s leading supplier of extreme ultraviolet lithography machines used to make advanced chips.
Lithography machines project patterns onto silicon wafers, creating the microscopic circuitry of integrated circuits. ASML’s extreme ultraviolet, or EUV, systems use extremely short-wavelength light to print the most intricate layers in modern semiconductor manufacturing.
ASML is headquartered in Veldhoven, Netherlands, and grew from a joint venture established in 1984 by Philips and ASM International. Its machines are not themselves general-purpose chips; they are highly specialized production tools bought by chip manufacturers such as TSMC, Samsung, and Intel.
A common mix-up is to call ASML a chipmaker. The company designs and builds semiconductor manufacturing equipment, while foundries and integrated-device manufacturers use that equipment to produce processors and memory. Its strategic importance has helped make it one of Europe’s most valuable listed companies.