3 ms·
The next shoe to drop will be if ASML cuts off Chinese chipmakers. ASML absolutely dominates fab tech.
by ttul 6y ago
The next shoe to drop will be if ASML cuts off Chinese chipmakers. ASML absolutely dominates fab tech.
- xxpor 6y agoOr the Dutch government bows to pressure from the US and makes the decision for them.
- mytailorisrich 6y agoThey already have. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-asml-holding-usa-china-insight/trump-administration-pressed-dutch-hard-to-cancel-china-chip-equipment-sale-sources-idUSKBN1Z50HN https://www.reuters.com/article/us-asml-holding-usa-china-in...
- jacquesm 6y agoOr maybe they did it by themselves because they are capable of independent decision making. Just the other day someone here was loudly proclaiming we shouldn't be interested in US politics from overseas because it doesn't affect us. HN should make up its mind about this in a well reasoned way.
- caycep 6y agoThat's what I am wondering about. Is ASML the weak point? Would a US, Taiwan, or other company be able to develop and manufacture comparable lithography or EUV machines, or do they essentially have a chokehold on the market for now?
- ttul 6y agoYou can't fast-track the technology developed by ASML. We're talking about a company with 4,000 engineers (correct me if I'm wrong btw) who have been working on lithography magic for decades. EUV took decades of dedicated research to finally become a reality just in the past few years. They literally vaporize tin into a plasma in order to create the EUV light, which then has to pass through incredibly complex optics on its way to the mask. 97% of the light is lost on its way to the target... This thing consumes megawatts. It's literally magic.
- caycep 6y agoWhat's odd to me is that - why is it just one group in the Netherlands doing this? vs. interest in other academic or industrial groups? Vs. say FinFETs or other groundbreaking tech - I remember Intel coming out with the paper however many decades ago and fast forward a few years later, TSMC and Samsung came out with their own products utilizing it.
- dharma1 6y agoThey already did beginning of the year - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-asml-holding-usa-china-insight/trump-administration-pressed-dutch-hard-to-cancel-china-chip-equipment-sale-sources-idUSKBN1Z50HN https://www.reuters.com/article/us-asml-holding-usa-china-in... China will figure out <7nm on their own but it will take them 5-10 years. The US has essentially put on the brakes on Chinese tech dominance for a few years but they can't stop the inevitable. I just hope the competition will be peaceful. Maybe the next generation of leaders will be better on both sides.
- nix23 6y ago>China will figure out <7nm on their own but it will take them 5-10 years. Or less: https://www.ft.com/content/6eab0c1c-167f-11ea-9ee4-11f260415385 https://www.ft.com/content/6eab0c1c-167f-11ea-9ee4-11f260415...