Intel Foundry and ASML say high-numerical-aperture extreme-ultraviolet lithography has crossed an important boundary: it is no longer only a development tool, but a production technology. At the SPIE Photomask Technology and Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography conference, the companies reported that Intel has processed … Read More
Tag: asml
ASML and TSMC’s 12-Inch Photomask Initiative: Technical Significance
ASML and TSMC’s proposed shift from 6-inch to 12-inch photomasks is an attempt to redesign a critical but often overlooked part of advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Photomasks are precision plates carrying the circuit patterns projected by a lithography scanner onto a silicon wafer. In extreme-ultraviolet lithography,… Read More
Huawei Can’t Shrink Its Chips, So It’s Folding Them
On May 25, Huawei semiconductor chief He Tingbo unveiled LogicFolding, an architecture intended to advance chip performance without relying on ever-smaller transistors. Presented alongside Huawei’s “Tau Scaling Law,” the approach prioritizes signal speed over transistor dimensions. It is a genuine engineering response… Read More
Podcast EP360: IDA Ireland’s Role to Expand Ireland’s Footprint Across the Semiconductor Ecosystem with Anne-Marie Tierney
Daniel is joined by Anne-Marie Tierney, Divisional Manager at IDA Ireland. Anne-Marie has 24 years’ experience in the global investment environment with IDA Ireland, working across several key roles in Ireland and abroad, positioning Ireland for high impact investments, with a specific interest in semiconductors. Prior … Read More
ASML’s Path to Lithography Dominance—and the Coming Maskless Revolution
ASML’s dominance was not born from a single invention. It emerged from four decades of systems engineering, supplier orchestration, and repeated bets on lithographic transitions that competitors judged too expensive. Founded in 1984 as a Philips–ASM joint venture, the Dutch company first differentiated itself with modular… Read More
ASML High-NA EUV is Not Ready for High-Volume Production
Contrary to the popular press, ASML High-NA EUV is not ready for logic production yet—and it may never be, at least not in the form originally envisioned. If you remember how long it took conventional EUV to become production-worthy—arguably 5–10 years—this should not come as a surprise. More importantly, this is no longer just… Read More
Beyond Moore’s Law: High NA EUV Lithography Redefines Advanced Chip Manufacturing
The imec installation of the ASML EXE:5200 High Numerical Aperture (High NA) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system at imec represents a pivotal advancement in semiconductor manufacturing and research. This system, installed in imec’s 300 mm cleanroom in Leuven, Belgium, introduces unprecedented lithographic resolution… Read More
CEO Interview with Jerome Paye of TAU Systems
Jerome Paye has served as CEO of TAU Systems since late 2025, having joined the company shortly after its founding in 2022 as Chief Operating Officer. In that time, he has helped build TAU Systems into a high-performing team now focused on delivering the ultimate light source for semiconductor lithography.
Paye brings more than… Read More
Selling the Forges of the Future: U.S. Report Exposes China’s Reliance on Western Chip Tools
The U.S. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party released a bombshell report titled “Selling the Forges of the Future” on October 7, 2025, detailing how the People’s Republic of China is stockpiling semiconductor manufacturing equipment… Read More
SEMICON West AZ- Congress & China- Memory Madness- AI Semiconductor Tsunami
– First SEMICON in Arizona was great- should make it permanent
– Congress finally wakes up to China issues long after cows are gone
– Memory cycle in support of AI could be huge but scary at same time
– AI demand seems bottomless- but may distort chip industry dynamics
Phoenix SEMICON was wonderful!
The crowds… Read More
