Silicon AnalyticaWhat is EUV lithography?
Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is a chipmaking step that prints circuit patterns onto silicon wafers using light with a wavelength of 13.5 nanometres. The shorter wavelength lets manufacturers print finer features in fewer steps than with older deep-ultraviolet tools.
Why it matters for investors
EUV scanners are among the most complex machines in a chip factory, and ASML is the sole supplier of them. Orders and shipments of these tools are therefore watched as a signal of how much leading-edge capacity chipmakers plan to add.
For chipmakers, the number of EUV layers in a process affects cost per wafer, production time and yield. For investors, EUV adoption links the spending plans of foundries and memory makers to the order books of equipment suppliers and their component vendors.
Key companies
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General educational explanation. Information only, not investment advice.