ASML showed off its cards and changed its tune and said it wanted to cooperate with China! What's going on?
On March 28, ASML’s CEO publicly stated that it was not ASML’s decision not to sell photolithography machines to China.
In the field of lithography machines, ASML is a well-deserved leader. If it doesn’t have the final say on who to give orders to or not, who else can decide?
This big boss who stands at the top of the industrial chain is also his younger brother in front of the United States.
Why should a Dutch company listen to the United States?
In the 1980s, Japan’s Nikon dominated the photolithography machine market. At that time, ASML’s market share was less than 10%. But regardless of whether it is Nikon or ASML, the light source wavelength of the lithography machine is stuck at 193nm. ASML spent billions of dollars and failed to break through.
Then why can it catch up from behind and win a global market share of up to 89%?
Because of the dividends of technology, but it is not dependent on itself, but related to the United States.
What's going on?
At that time, chip manufacturer Intel also had its own lithography machine department. In 1997, Intel also recognized the difficulty of crossing the 193nm wavelength, so it persuaded the U.S. government, convened hundreds of top scientists, and formed an "Extreme Ultraviolet" alliance. It also brought together the three major U.S. national laboratories to use only 6 In 2016, the 193nm breakthrough was shortened to 135nm. Whoever can get this technology first will be able to completely occupy the lithography machine market. And Asmai is a ruthless character who will do anything to gain the market. After making a lot of promises to the United States, he finally obtained the technology and became a god.
So what was promised to the United States?
First, it is willing to establish factories and R&D centers in the United States; second, it ensures that 55 core components and raw materials are purchased from American suppliers; and third, it accepts regular reviews by the United States. In other words, ASML has no way of independently producing a photolithography machine. In addition, although ASML has applied for as many as 14,444 patents, many patents are not in their own hands.
But this is not over yet. The investment in lithography machines is huge and requires a steady stream of funds. blood transfusion. In order to obtain R&D funds, ASML did not hesitate to dilute its own equity and introduced large-scale investment from American companies such as Intel, thus losing part of its control over the company.
That’s why ASML said it has no right to decide who its customers are. Now the so-called advantages it has accumulated for more than 20 years have no place to use them.
Although the localization of our photolithography machines requires continuous technological breakthroughs and improvements, at least the required components and services can be completed independently by ourselves. Core technology is important, but more important is independent technology.