Latest news with #EUV
Phone Arena
3 days ago
- Business
- Phone Arena
China introduces its first domestically made e-beam lithography machine
We've often said that the inability of Chinese foundries and tech manufacturers to obtain Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines is the big reason why China is so far behind in the chips race. Thanks to U.S. and Dutch officials, the one company that makes advanced lithography gear, Dutch firm ASML, cannot ship the latest EUV lithography equipment to China. However, less advanced Deep Ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machines, using older technology, can still be shipped to China. This is important because EUV machines are needed to manufacture chips under 7nm. Foundries like TSMC and Samsung Foundry will be mass producing chips using their 2nm process nodes this year. Lower process node numbers mean that the transistors used are smaller, allowing more to fit into a small space inside a chip. This number is called the Transistor Density and is usually shown as millions or billions of transistors per square millimeter. The higher the transistor density, the more powerful and energy-efficient a chip is. The lithography machine is used to transfer circuitry patterns onto the silicon wafers that serve as the foundation of the chips manufactured by foundries. Deep Ultraviolet (DUV) light has a wavelength of 193 nanometers. EUV, however, uses light with a wavelength of just 13.5 nanometers, which is about 14 times shorter. This shorter wavelength allows EUVs to etch the fine patterns needed for today's intricate chip designs. -Hangzhou Daily But the Chinese have built their first e-beam lithography machine, which they have titled Xizhi. It was created at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou and uses focused electron beams to etch the circuitry patterns on the silicon wafers. The downside is that e-beam lithography cannot produce chips at a large scale like DUV and EUV machines can. But for China, it's any port in a storm when it comes to lithography, and the e-beam lithography works great during the testing phase of production. An ASML built Extreme Ultraviolet lithography machine. | Image credit-ASML A local newspaper, Hangzhou Daily , said on Thursday, "Due to export controls, such equipment has long been out of reach for leading domestic research institutions, including the University of Science and Technology of China and Zhejiang Lab. The delivery of Xizhi is expected to help break this impasse." Xizhi can etch circuit lines as narrow as 8 nm, with a positioning accuracy of 0.6nm. This meets international standards. Discussions with Chinese companies and research institutes interested in Xizhi have begun. The domestically produced e-beam lithography machine is cheaper than similar devices imported into China. This is just the beginning of China's attempt to bypass U.S. restrictions by producing its own chipmaking equipment. There are reports that Huawei has been working on building its own EUV machine. Reportedly, Huawei has been testing a trial EUV machine at its factory in Dongguan. Supposedly, Huawei will aim for trial production later this year with mass production expected to take place in 2026. Should Huawei be able to create an EUV machine, it would be a big deal for China in general and Huawei in particular. It could allow Huawei and China's largest foundry, SMIC, to produce cutting-edge chips that might be able to compete with the silicon designed by U.S. chip design heavyweights like Apple, Qualcomm, and Nvidia. Before the U.S. implemented the sanctions preventing Huawei from obtaining cutting-edge chips, the Chinese manufacturer's HiSillicon chip design unit was TSMC's second-largest customer after Apple. At that time, HiSilicon and thus Huawei had access to TSMC's most cutting-edge process nodes. In fact, the last chip TSMC produced for HiSilicon before U.S. sanctions kicked in was the Kirin 9000 AP. Built using TSMC's 5nm process node, this was the SoC used to power the Huawei Mate 40 series in 2020. After the sanctions went into effect, Qualcomm was given a license from the U.S. Commerce Department allowing it to ship 4G Snapdragon chips to Huawei. In 2023, Huawei stunned the industry by releasing the Mate 60 series powered by the Kirin 9000S. Produced by SMIC, the SoC was built using the foundry's 7nm process node and brought 5G support back to Huawei's flagship phones. With Galaxy AI – port-in & $720 upfront required We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is ASML a Buy?
Key Points ASML recently gave a cautious outlook for next year. The stock trades at a multiyear low valuation. A monopoly company at an historically low valuation seems like a good pickup. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › Even though it has a monopoly on critical technology and the artificial intelligence revolution in full swing, ASML Holdings (NASDAQ: ASML) has lagged both the index and the iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ: SOXX) year to date, as well as over the past one, three, and five years. This is kind of an amazing statistic, given ASML's monopoly on extreme ultraviolent lithography (EUV), which is needed to produce semiconductors below the 7 nanometer (nm) node. 7nm chips began to be produced in 2019, and the industry has progressed to 2nm chips, which will arrive by the end of this year. Furthermore, all the leading DRAM memory producers are just now adopting EUV, and DRAM demand is exploding because of the memory needs of AI systems. Of course, ASML has been known to have this monopoly for a while and entered the past five years at a higher valuation than peers. Yet the stock's underperformance has changed that, and shares now look like somewhat of a bargain, at least by growth stock standards. ASML is at a decade-long discount After its recent post-earnings selloff, ASML now trades at roughly 25 times earnings. That valuation doesn't scream "cheap" on the surface. But again, ASML is an extraordinary company, and that valuation is the cheapest it has been over the past 10 years, with a few exceptions. Much of the recent selloff has to do with near-term concerns over the 2026 growth outlook. On ASML's recent earnings release, management said that while the company is still preparing for a growth year next year, it wasn't guaranteeing it. That was a change from last quarter, when ASML said it was expecting a growth year in 2026, after a strong midteens growth expectation this year. Management spoke of the overhang of tariffs, which could have both direct and indirect impacts. Tariffs may directly slow the several of ASML's end markets, as those end products are still mostly assembled in East Asia. There is also the question of Section 232 tariffs on semiconductors, which have not yet been announced. Should semiconductors get tariffed specifcally, many important chips could be directly affected, given the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) in the electronics supply chain. There are also indirect impacts on the wider economy, which could also depress overall demand. Although chips tend to have la strong long-term growth outlook, it's still a very cyclical business at times. Last Friday, we perhaps saw the first signs of tariffs' impacts on the economy, as job creation for July came in well below target, while the stronger readings from May and June were also revised down. The big innovation in chips today doesn't have to do with lithography Another part of ASML's valuation compression may have to do with the technology of chipmaking itself. Major chipmakers are now switching from finFET transistors, with the gate surrounding three sides of the transistor source, to gate-all-around transistors, in which the gate encircles the source on all four sides. This architecture also allows transistor sources to be stacked on top of each other in vertical fashion. In addition, another innovation going on right now is backside power, in which the power controls of the chip are being built on the back side of the silicon and connected through the silicon surface to the front. This frees up more space on the front of the chip, allowing greater transistor counts and performance. Lithography, which is what ASML does, has to do with shrinking transistors down to smaller and smaller sizes so that more can fit on a given piece of silicon. However, the enabling technologies of GAA and backside power have more to do with other areas of manufacturing technology, such as etch and deposition, novel packaging and wafer thinning, and increased metrology. This could be why other major semicap equipment stocks in etch, deposition, and metrology have seen their valuations go up, as ASML's valuation has come back down toward them: But near-termism has created an opportunity While the picture for 2026 and maybe the next couple of years are a bit murky for ASML, the long-term growth opportunity appears intact, as does ASML's competitive advantage in lithography. Countering the worries about a near-term slowdown in lithography intensity, ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet noted: So I think that after the 1.4 nanometer node, we will see again some litho intensity increase some more EUV layers. If you look at the long term also there, the Logic customers are extremely bullish about the need for more EUV layers. So yes, there is one node as it happened before with FinFET, where there's a bit of a pause. But I always explain the only reason for that pause is to enable more shrink moving forward. So for every node where you pause basically to change your transistor architecture, usually, you will see 3, 4, 5 nodes where you continue basically to shrink and there drive more litho intensity. Basically, the 2nm node may not see an increase in litho intensity as chipmakers focus on getting the new transistor and backside power right, but lithography intensity and shrink should still continue beyond that point into the future. On that note, ASML kept its 2030 revenue range outlook between 44 billion to 60 billion euros intact. That's relative to the 32.2 billion euros ASML has made over the past 12 months. In that scenario, ASML should be making between 14 billion and 23 billion euros in net profit by 2030, relative to its 230 billion Euro market cap today. Given ASML's technology moat and the strong long-term picture for advanced semiconductors and memory, that a seems like a very solid value for investors looking beyond the next year. Don't miss this second chance at a potentially lucrative opportunity Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you'll want to hear this. On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a 'Double Down' stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you're worried you've already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it's too late. And the numbers speak for themselves: Nvidia: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2009, you'd have $462,306!* Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you'd have $38,522!* Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, you'd have $619,036!* Right now, we're issuing 'Double Down' alerts for three incredible companies, available when you join , and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon.*Stock Advisor returns as of August 4, 2025 Billy Duberstein and/or his clients have positions in ASML and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends ASML, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and iShares Trust-iShares Semiconductor ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is ASML a Buy? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Car and Driver
30-07-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
2027 Chevy Bolt Teases Sharper Styling and a NACS Charging Port
Chevy has released the first teaser images for the 2027 Bolt, which is due to start production by the end of this year. Spy photos show the new Bolt using the same body as the previous Bolt EUV, but the teaser images show redesigned front and rear fascias. Chevy also confirmed the Bolt will gain a NACS charging port, allowing the EV to be plugged into Tesla's massive Supercharger network. We've known a new Chevy Bolt is imminent for nearly two years now. General Motors first announced a second iteration of its affordable EV in late 2023 as it wound down production of the original Bolt EV and EUV. Now we have the first official look at what to expect from the 2027 Chevy Bolt, which GM confirmed earlier this year will begin production at the Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas City, Kansas, by the end of 2025. Chevrolet Recent spy photos surprised us by revealing that the second-generation Bolt appears to be more of a deep refresh than a truly new vehicle. It sports the same egg-shaped body as the outgoing EUV model, wearing camouflage only on the front and rear fascias. Now, Chevrolet has published a series of teaser images on social media, showing off the front and rear designs. New LED running lights now sit perpendicular to the ground, ditching the slight angle of the outgoing "eyebrows," and appear to be linked by a black trim piece that holds a Chevy badge. The running lights are also now connected to the main headlight units below, which retain their trapezoidal shape. We can also spot a diamond-like pattern embossed into the sheetmetal above the lower grille opening. Chevrolet Chevy also teased a chunkier taillight design and flashy black wheels, but the other key piece of information is a photo of the charging port, confirming that the new Bolt will come with a NACS port. Nearly every automaker is beginning to switch to the NACS plug, and this will allow the Bolt to hook up to Tesla's vast Supercharger network. Chevy said more details will come this fall. We think the Bolt will retain its affordable starting price while adding more competitive range and decreasing charging times. Given customers' appetite for SUVs, the Bolt may only return in EUV form. The 2023 Bolt EUV started at $28,795, although that was a serious discount from its 2022 base price of $34,495. We expect pricing of the new 2027 model to land just above $30,000. Caleb Miller Associate News Editor Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
Reuters
25-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
US startup xLight raises $40 million in race against China for key chip-making laser
PALO ALTO, California, July 22 (Reuters) - Silicon Valley startup xLight has raised $40 million, aiming to build the first prototype of a new class of laser that could shake up the global chip industry and reclaim U.S. leadership in a field that China is aggressively investing in. XLight's laser - based on the same technologies as massive particle accelerators used by U.S. national labs in cutting-edge physics research - will sit at the heart of what are known as extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines. EUV machines are the tools primarily responsible for the creation of smaller, faster chips. In a world where advances in fields such as AI are determined by how many chips Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab and other chip companies can supply, xLight is aiming to help chip factories, called "fabs" in the industry, turn out more of the dinner-plate-sized silicon "wafers" that contain advanced chips more quickly and cheaply. "This is the most expensive tool in the fab. It's what drives the cost of the wafer more than any other tool in the fab, and it's what drives capacity more than any other tool in the fab," Nicholas Kelez, CEO of xLight, said at the company's Palo Alto headquarters. XLight declined to disclose its valuation. It expects to have an operational prototype in 2028. The EUV machines themselves took the chip industry decades to develop, and Europe's ASML ( opens new tab is currently the world's only supplier. ASML and xLight do not have a business partnership, but technical leaders at ASML have provided xLight with the requirements a laser must meet to be considered for use in ASML's machines. The U.S. government has worked across multiple presidential administrations to stop EUV machines from being sent to China, with one official calling it the "single most important export control" held by the U.S. and Europe. China has responded by pouring resources into the field, with a close manufacturing partner of national champion Huawei Technologies ( claiming breakthroughs in developing its own EUV laser and more than a dozen research papers appearing at international conferences chasing the same technological path as xLight. A U.S.-based firm named Cymer perfected the first EUV laser technology and was scooped up by ASML more than a decade ago for $2.5 billion, helping create ASML's dominant position in the market. "There was a terrible mistake made giving Cymer the ability to become a European-owned and controlled company," said Pat Gelsinger, former CEO of Intel (INTC.O), opens new tab who now serves as executive chairman of xLight's board and is a general partner at Playground Global, one of xLight's investors. Many of xLight's prototype components will come from U.S. national labs as xLight works to build a supply chain in the U.S. and allied countries. "We can build that here, or it can be built elsewhere. China is investing heavily in this space. There's an extraordinary backstory here that says, 'Let's get this one right,'" Gelsinger said. The financing round was led by Playground Global and joined by Boardman Bay Capital Management. Morpheus Ventures, Marvel Capital, and IAG Capital Partners also joined the round. (This July 22 story has been corrected to clarify that xLight and ASML do not have a formal business partnership, in paragraph 7)
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Should You Double Up on ASML Stock Despite Growth Concerns?
Key Points ASML's revolutionary technology continues to push the bounds of AI and semiconductor manufacturing. Near-term growth concerns have little bearing on the long-term investment thesis. The commercialization of ASML's High-NA EUV systems should lead to sustained revenue and margin expansion. 10 stocks we like better than ASML › ASML (NASDAQ: ASML) fell 8.3% on July 16 in response to its second-quarter 2025 results and guidance. Investors may be wondering why ASML dipped so much, given it beat analyst estimates for the quarter. Here's why the sell-off is a buying opportunity for long-term investors interested in an exciting artificial intelligence (AI) growth stock. A long-term winner from AI investment ASML makes semiconductor lithography machines that are used by chip foundries (like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM), Samsung Electronics (OTC: SSNL.F), Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), etc.). ASML's deep ultraviolet (DUV) systems use lenses to print features on microchips, while its extreme ultraviolet (EUV) systems use mirrors. The EUV machines are magnitudes more expensive than DUV, with the latest ultra-powered high-numerical aperture (high-NA) versions costing as much as $400 million a pop and the low-NA EUVs starting at about $150 million. DUVs cost anywhere from $5 million to $90 million. DUVs still make up the majority of ASML's sales. EUVs are more precise, have fewer errors, reduce manufacturing time, and lower overall costs, making them a good long-term investment, especially for fabs that are fulfilling more chip orders to keep up with artificial intelligence (AI) demand. In this vein, the build-out and commercialization of EUV technology has been the unsung hero behind the AI revolution. The EUV machines are so precise that they print microchips using light with wavelengths of just 13.5 nanometers -- which is almost as small as an X-ray. The technology allows ASML to pack more transistors per microchip, which is essential for increasing computing power. Laying the groundwork for future growth With two quarters now in the books, ASML updated its full-year guidance. The company expects sales to grow 15% compared to 2024 (which would be 32.55 billion euros or $37.79 billion) and gross margin to be around 52% -- which is slightly higher than the 2024 gross margin of 51.3%. However, the company stated that it is experiencing increasing macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty, which will directly and indirectly impact its business and the timing of capital expenditures for its customers. The line that likely spooked investors the most from ASML's press release was the following: "Against this backdrop, while we are still preparing for growth in 2026, we cannot confirm it at this stage. We will continue monitoring developments over the coming months." The guidance came as a surprise given ASML is seeing strong demand for its EUV technology and that AI spending has been surging, especially from hyperscalers with deep pockets. But long-term investors can rest easy knowing that the company's medium-term guidance, released in November 2024, is still intact. ASML still expects 44 billion to 60 billion euros ($51.08 billion to $69.65 billion) in 2030 revenue, and gross margin to rise to a new range of 56% to 60%. ASML's margin increase is likely due to EUV bookings making up a higher percentage of revenue. In its latest quarter, ASML's total net sales of 7.69 billion euros ($8.9 billion) consisted of 2.1 billion euros ($2.43 billion) of servicing its installed base and 5.5 billion euros ($6.37 billion) in net bookings, of which 2.3 billion euros ($2.66 billion) or 42% were EUVs. However, ASML only sold 11 new EUVs in the quarter compared to 76 systems in total -- showcasing just how expensive and high-margin these machines are. Taking the EUV bookings and dividing them by 11 tells us that the average EUV sales price in the quarter was 209 million euros, or $242 million. ASML's margins should continue rising as EUVs make up a larger percentage of net bookings, and the share of EUVs it sells pivots from majority low-NA to high-NA. ASML is a high-conviction buy The sell-off in ASML stock is an overreaction and a reminder that stock prices can move in the short term for reasons that have little to do with the long-term investment thesis. Management is being cautious and wants to avoid overpromising and underdelivering. But throughout its earnings materials and commentary on the earnings call, the company reiterated strong demand for its EUV systems and the long-term potential of AI. ASML is telling investors with a five-year time horizon to expect steady growth over that period, which is a great setup that makes the high-margin company a compelling value. It's also worth mentioning that ASML said it plans to continue repurchasing stock, which should reduce the share count and accelerate earnings growth. The company is also rewarding its shareholders with passive income by continuing to raise the dividend. ASML only yields about 1.1%, but it's still a decent dividend considering many growth stocks have even lower yields or don't even pay dividends. Add it all up, and ASML stands out as an excellent stock to double up on now. Do the experts think ASML is a buy right now? The Motley Fool's expert analyst team, drawing on years of investing experience and deep analysis of thousands of stocks, leverages our proprietary Moneyball AI investing database to uncover top opportunities. They've just revealed their to buy now — did ASML make the list? When our Stock Advisor analyst team has a stock recommendation, it can pay to listen. After all, Stock Advisor's total average return is up 1,055% vs. just 180% for the S&P — that is beating the market by 874.27%!* Imagine if you were a Stock Advisor member when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $665,092!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,050,477!* The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 21, 2025 Daniel Foelber has positions in ASML. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends ASML, Intel, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: short August 2025 $24 calls on Intel. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Should You Double Up on ASML Stock Despite Growth Concerns? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
