ASML

The sole supplier of EUV lithography machines — the critical chokepoint of leading-edge manufacturing.

Veldhoven, Netherlands · 1984 · ASML

Explainer Jan 27, 2026

Why leading-edge fabs are a chokepoint

A single advanced fab costs $20–30B and depends on EUV machines only ASML makes. That brutal economics narrows the frontier to a handful of firms — and makes leading-edge capacity one of the world's true chokepoints.

Leading-Edge Chips

TSMC

ASML

SMIC

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Milestone note 2019

EUV lithography reaches volume production

Reached

ASML / TSMC — TSMC's 7nm+ became the first high-volume node using ASML's extreme-ultraviolet machines — the tool that unlocked everything below 7nm.

Leading-Edge Chips

ASML

Database · 2026 Read