EUV
Extreme ultraviolet lithography technology enabling advanced chip manufacturing below 7nm.
Last refreshed: 13 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why does Europe hold the only key to building AI chips?
- Why can only ASML make EUV machines?
- ASML accumulated 30 years of precision optics and mechatronics expertise that no rival has replicated; it holds a global monopoly.Source: Background
- Why is China blocked from buying EUV equipment?
- US export controls, applied via Dutch government licences, prohibit ASML from shipping EUV machines to Chinese customers.Source: Background
- What chips need EUV lithography to make?
- All leading-edge chips at 7nm and below require EUV, including AI accelerators, smartphone SoCs, and data-centre processors.Source: Background
- How much does an EUV machine cost?
- A single EUV machine costs over €150m and requires years of lead time to deliver.Source: Background
Background
Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is the semiconductor manufacturing process technology that enables production of chips at nodes below 7nm — the sub-category that includes the advanced processors in AI data centres, smartphones, and high-performance computing. EUV machines are manufactured exclusively by ASML, the Dutch company that holds a global monopoly on the technology. A single EUV machine costs over €150m and requires years of lead time. The technology's concentration at ASML — with the Netherlands as the only production site — makes it a critical chokepoint in global semiconductor supply chains and a significant European technological asset in the AI race. US export controls have restricted ASML's EUV sales to China, giving the West a structural advantage at the leading edge.
