The Veldhoven chip equipment manufacturer ASML has revealed ambitious plans to broaden its product range. By developing new types of machinery, the company aims to capitalise on the rapidly growing market for artificial intelligence chips. Chief Technology Officer Marco Pieters told Reuters that the Veldhoven-based firm is looking well beyond its current core business.
ASML currently holds a virtual monopoly on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) machines. These systems are essential for creating the incredibly precise patterns required for modern semiconductors. Following years of heavy investment, this technology has become vital for major industry players such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and the American firm Intel.
However, the company is already focusing on future generations of equipment. ASML intends to move into the advanced packaging market, creating tools that help connect and merge multiple specialised chips. This process is a fundamental building block for the powerful processors and memory units used in AI.
As part of this long-term strategy, ASML plans to use artificial intelligence itself to improve the performance and production speed of its own tools. The company is also researching larger chip sizes and new scanner systems. Pieters explained that the group is not just looking at the next five years, but is planning for the next decade or more to anticipate where the industry is headed.
NEWS BRAINPORT
