Washington has been aggressively working to curb China’s progress in semiconductors, a strategically and economically vital industry. ASML’s cutting-edge technology is highly coveted by chipmakers around the world. The Dutch company is one of only a handful globally that can produce extreme ultraviolet lithography systems – futuristic machines that harness powerful lasers to etch tiny patterns onto silicon wafers used to make chips. This enables chipmakers to churn out smaller, faster and more energy-efficient semiconductors for everything from smartphones to artificial intelligence systems.
ASML’s elite client list includes chip behemoths like Samsung, Intel and Taiwan’s TSMC, key suppliers to tech titans including Apple, Huawei and others. Concerns emerged after reports that Chinese firm SMIC tapped ASML’s technology to fabricate Huawei’s latest Kirin 9000S processor.
