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 Corporate headquarters inVeldhoven | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| |
| Industry | Semiconductor industry |
| Founded |
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| Headquarters | Veldhoven, Netherlands |
Key people |
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| Products | Photolithography systems for thesemiconductor industry |
| Revenue |  €28.26 billion (2024)[1] |
 €9.023 billion (2024)[1] | |
| €7.572 billion (2024)[1] | |
| Total assets | €48.59 billion (2024)[1] |
| Total equity | €18.48 billion (2024)[1] |
Number of employees | 43,395 (2024)[1] |
| Website | asml.com |
ASML Holding N.V. (commonly shortened toASML, originally standing forAdvanced Semiconductor Materials Lithography) is aDutchmultinational corporation andsemiconductor company that specializes in the development and manufacturing ofphotolithography machines which are used to produceintegrated circuits. As of 2023[update] it is the largest supplier for thesemiconductor industry and the sole supplier in the world ofextreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) photolithography machines that are required to manufacture the most advanced chips.[2] As of September 2025, its market capitalization was approximately $345 billion, making it Europe's largest technology company and one of its most valuable firms overall.[3] This followed its November 2024 valuation of about $264 billion, at which time it was ranked as one of the top four most valuable European companies.[4][5]
ASML was founded in 1984 as ajoint venture between the Dutch technology companiesPhilips andASM International. It became a fully independent corporation in 1995. ASML's corporate headquarters is inVeldhoven, just outside the city ofEindhoven in the Netherlands and is the location for research, development, manufacturing and assembly. ASML employs more than 42,000 people[1] from 143 nationalities and relies on a network of nearly 5,000 tier 1 suppliers.[6] ASML has a worldwide customer base and over 60 service points in 16 countries.[6] It has offices in the Netherlands, the United States, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, the United Kingdom, China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan.[6]
The company is listed on both theAEX andNasdaq stock exchanges, as ASML. It is also a component of theEuro Stoxx 50[7] andNasdaq-100.[8]
ASML produces thephotolithography machines used in the production of integrated circuits, called "scanners". In these machines, patterns are optically imaged onto a siliconwafer that is covered with a film of light-sensitive material (photoresist). This procedure is repeated dozens of times on a single wafer. The photoresist is then further processed to create the actual electronic circuits on the silicon. The optical imaging that ASML's machines deal with is used in the fabrication of nearly all integrated circuits and, as of 2011, ASML had 67 percent of the worldwide sales of lithography machines.[9]
ASML's earlier competition consisted ofUltratech,Canon andNikon,MKS Instruments,Lam Research andCadence Design Systems.[10]
Sinceimmersion lithography was first proposed byBurn-Jeng Lin in the 1970s,[11] ASML cooperated withTSMC. In 2004, TSMC began commercial production of90 nanometersemiconductor nodes using ASML immersion lithography.[12] As of 2011, their high-end TWINSCAN NXT:1950i system was used for producing features down to 32nanometres at up to 200 wafers per hour,[13] using a waterimmersion lens and anargon fluoride laser that produces light at a wavelength of 193 nm. As of 2011[update], an average lithography machine cost€27 million.[14]
Deep ultraviolet lithography (DUV) devices from ASML use light that penetrates[clarification needed] the UV spectrum to print the tiny features that form the microchip's structure.[15]
Extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) is a critical technology used to create the smallest and most complex chip designs. ASML holds a near-monopoly in the EUV market. The company's machines are capable of etching patterns as small as 8 nanometers, 1/10000 the width of a human hair.[16]
EUV machines produce light in the 13.5 nmwavelength range by focusing a high-energylaser on microscopic droplets of moltentin to produce aplasma, which then emits EUV light. The light is bounced offZeiss mirrors onto the surface of a silicon wafer to form the designs for the chip.[17]
In 2009, theIMEC research center in Belgium produced the world's first functional 22 nmCMOSStatic random-access memory memory cells with a prototype EUV lithography machine.[18] After decades of development, ASML shipped the first production EUV machine in either 2011[14] or 2013.[19]
As of 2022[update], ASML has shipped around 140 EUV systems.[2] ASML's best-selling EUV product has been the TWINSCAN NXE:3600D, which costs up to $200 million.[2] The machine weighs 180 tons and needs threeBoeing 747s to transport.[20]
ASML is working on the next generation of EUV systems, with the first shipments for R&D shipped toIntel in December 2023, and TSMC in late 2024.[21][22] The platform is designatedHigh-NA as it increases thenumerical aperture (NA) from 0.33 to 0.55;[19] each system costs approximately $370 million.[2][22]
ASML's EUV machines have experienced a significant surge in demand in recent years, driven by modern electronics' increasing complexity and performance requirements. This has translated into steady revenue growth for the company, reaching $30 billion in 2023, up from $13 billion five years earlier.[16]
ASM Lithography was founded in 1984 as a joint venture between the Dutch companiesASM andPhilips. The company became an independent publicly traded entity in 1988 and was renamed ASML,[23] which is its official name and not an abbreviation.[24]
In 1991, ASML released the lithography system PAS 5500, which became an extremely successful platform for the company.[25] The PAS 5500 was first used byMicron Technology, one of the world's largest producers of computer memory and storage, and ASML's largest customer at that time.[26] The success of the PAS 5500 line propelled ASML into strong competition withCanon andNikon, who were the leaders of the lithography market at the time.[25]
In 1997, ASML began studying a shift to using extreme ultraviolet and in 1999 joined a consortium, includingIntel and two other U.S. chipmakers, in order to exploit fundamental research conducted by theUS Department of Energy. Because theCooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) it operates under is funded by the US government, licensing must be approved by Congress. It collaborated with the BelgianIMEC andSematech and turned toCarl Zeiss in Germany for its mirrors.[27]
In 2000, ASML acquired the Silicon Valley Group (SVG),[28] a US lithography equipment manufacturer also licensed for EUV research results, in a bid to supply 193 nm scanners toIntel Corp.[29][30]
In 2002, it became the largest supplier of photolithography systems.[31]
At the end of 2008, ASML experienced a large drop in sales, which led management to cut the workforce by about 1000 worldwide, mostly contract workers[32] and to apply for support from the Dutch national unemployment fund to prevent even larger layoffs.[33] Two and a half years later, ASML expected record-high revenue.[34]
In July 2012, Intel announced a deal to invest $4.1 billion into ASML in exchange for 15% ownership, in order to speed up the transition from 300 mm to450 mm wafers and further development of EUV lithography.[35][36] This deal was without exclusive rights to future ASML products and, in July 2012, ASML offered another 10% of its shares to other companies.[37] As part of their EUV strategy, ASML announced the acquisition of DUV and EUV sources manufacturerCymer in October 2012.[38]
In November 2013, ASML paused development of 450 mm lithography equipment, citing uncertain timing of chipmaker demand.[39]
In 2015, ASML sufferedintellectual property theft. A number of employees had been found stealing confidential data from its Silicon Valley software subsidiary that develops software for machine optimization.[40]
In June 2016, ASML announced their plans to acquire Taiwan-based Hermes Microvision Inc. for about $3.1 billion to add technology for creating smaller and more advancedsemiconductors.[41]
In 2018, theTrump administration tried to block the sale of ASML technology to China,[42] but as of 2021, the ongoingglobal chip shortage as well as the "technological cold war" between the US and China had been a business opportunity for ASML.[20]In February 2019, ASML joined the eBeam Initiative - a consortium supporting eBeam technology adoption for photomasks and lithography.[citation needed]
In November 2020, ASML revealed that it had acquired the Germanoptical glassmaking firm Berliner Glas Group in order to meet increasing need for components for its EUV systems.[43]
In July 2021, European CommissionerThierry Breton, visited ASML and announced a goal of at least 20% of world production of semiconductors in Europe by 2030, and support via a European Alliance on semiconductors.[44] After reporting earnings in July 2021, the company said they had a near monopoly for machines used by TSMC andSamsung Electronics to make the advanced chips.[45]
In February 2023, ASML claimed that a former worker in China "allegedly" stole information about the company's technology. This was not the first time that ASML was allegedly linked with an intellectual property breach connected to China. In its 2021annual report, ASML mentioned thatDongfang Jingyuan Electron Limited "was actively marketing products in China that could potentially infringe on ASML's IP rights."[46] At the time, theUnited States Department of Commerce expressed concern abouteconomic espionage against ASML.[47] In October 2023, Dutch newspaperNRC Handelsblad reported that the former employee who "allegedly" stole data about ASML's technology subsequently went to work forHuawei.[48]
In March 2023, the Dutch government placed restrictions on chip equipment exports in order to protect national security. This measure affected ASML as one of the most important companies in the global microchip supply chain.[49] Export license requirements came into effect in September 2023.[50]
In June 2023, the Netherlands' Institute for Human Rights ruled that despite the country'sconstitution prohibiting discrimination based on nationality, ASML was allowed to reject job applications from residents of countries subject to sanctions under the U.S.Export Administration Regulations (such as China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria) in order to remain compliant with U.S. law.[51][52][53]
In January 2024, the Dutch government placed further restrictions on the shipment of some advanced chip-making equipment to China.[54] On 6 September 2024, the Dutch government tightened export controls on certain ASML chipmaking equipment, aligning its policy with U.S. restrictions to limit China's access to advanced technology amid safety and geopolitical concerns.[55][56] These restrictions were expanded for tighter export controls in January 2025, with ASML required to apply for export licenses with the Dutch government instead of the U.S.[57]
| Year | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 5,245 | 5,856 | 6,287 | 6,795 | 9,053 | 10,944 | 11,820 | 13,979 | 18,611 | 21,173 | 27,559 | 28,263 |
| Net income | 1,016 | 1,197 | 1,387 | 1,472 | 2,119 | 2,592 | 2,592 | 3,554 | 5,883 | 5,624 | 7,839 | 7,572 |
| Assets | 11,514 | 12,204 | 13,295 | 17,206 | 18,196 | 20,137 | 22,630 | 27,267 | 30,231 | 36,300 | 39,958 | 48,590 |
| Employees | 10,360 | 11,318 | 12,168 | 13,991 | 16,219 | 20,044 | 23,219 | 26,614 | 29,861 | 36,112 | 42,416 | 43,395 |
| Holder | Shares | Date reported | % out | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (T. Rowe) Associates Inc | 10,991,878 | 29 June 2022 | 2.70% | 5,152,552,838 |
| Capital World Investors | 6,492,254 | 29 June 2022 | 1.60% | 3,043,309,048 |
| Fisher Asset Management, LLC | 4,595,741 | 29 June 2022 | 1.13% | 2,154,299,596 |
| Capital International Investors | 3,919,239 | 29 June 2022 | 0.96% | 1,837,182,511 |
| Morgan Stanley | 3,156,574 | 29 June 2022 | 0.78% | 1,479,675,659 |
| WCM Investment Management, LLC | 3,089,503 | 29 Sep. 2022 | 0.76% | 1,448,235,456 |
| Edgewood Management Company | 2,919,498 | 29 June 2022 | 0.72% | 1,368,543,910 |
| State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co | 2,834,225 | 29 June 2022 | 0.70% | 1,328,571,338 |
| FMR, LLC | 2,763,695 | 29 June 2022 | 0.68% | 1,295,509,695 |
| Sands Capital Management, LLC | 1,942,740 | 29 June 2022 | 0.48% | 910,678,821 |
| Holder | Shares | Date reported | % out | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Balanced Fund | 2,523,702 | 29 September 2022 | 0.62% | 1,183,010,574 |
| Growth Fund Of America Inc | 2,407,395 | 29 September 2022 | 0.59% | 1,128,490,503 |
| iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | 2,138,919 | 29 September 2022 | 0.53% | 1,002,639,691 |
| Washington Mutual Investors Fund | 2,138,040 | 29 September 2022 | 0.53% | 1,002,227,651 |
| Advisors Inner Circle Fund-Edgewood Growth Fd | 1,623,694 | 29 June 2022 | 0.40% | 761,122,815 |
| Price (T.Rowe) Growth Stock Fund Inc. | 1,627,216 | 29 June 2022 | 0.40% | 762,773,788 |
| iShares MSCI Eafe ETF | 1,319,874 | 29 September 2022 | 0.32% | 618,704,149 |
| Invesco ETF Tr-Invesco QQQ Tr, Series 1 ETF | 1,264,161 | 29 September 2022 | 0.31% | 592,588,122 |
| New Perspective Fund Inc | 1,217,878 | 29 September 2022 | 0.30% | 570,892,503 |
| Investment Managers Ser Tr-WCM Focused International Growth Fd | 1,197,952 | 30 July 2022 | 0.29% | 561,551,991 |
ASML became a sponsor of thePSV football club in 2019 together withPhilips,VDL Groep,Royal Swinkels Family Brewers andJumbo Supermarkets from the Brainport region.[60][61] Together they run various initiatives like soccertraining camps for school children, the development of interactive programs for teaching, assisting community members in need or who are new to the region, as well as supporting a vitality program that is online.[62][63] ASML was the title partner of theEindhoven marathon from 2022 - 2024.[64]
In November 2013, following our customers' decision, ASML decided to pause the development of 450 mm lithography systems until customer demand and the timing related to such demand is clear.
Media related toASML at Wikimedia Commons
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