U.S. claims ASML EUV tools in China; ASML denies any sales - 디지털투데이

The U.S. government has raised fresh allegations that ASML's extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment may have entered China, prompting a strong denial from ASML, which insists no such systems ... Read original →

Despite lacking concrete evidence, U.S. allegations about ASML’s EUV tools entering China have already triggered ripple effects across the tech stack. As EUV is indispensable for sub-3nm nodes, any perceived breach in export controls forces foundries like TSMC to reassess advanced packaging investments in China and shift AI chip production toward Taiwan, China, or South Korea. Compliance burdens are surging—ASML’s remote-lock safeguards may not suffice if Washington extends restrictions to DUV, squeezing mature-node expansions by SMIC. Meanwhile, U.S. backing of xLight aims to erode ASML’s monopoly, but viable alternatives remain years away, potentially accelerating China’s SSX600-class EUV R&D. Over the next 18 months, geopolitical enforcement—not technical limits—will dominate risk calculus. Persistent ambiguity from U.S. authorities could compel global equipment vendors to build dual-track supply chains for China and the West, inflating capex and lead times industry-wide.