A report published September 28, 2026, attributed to ASML chief executive Christophe Fouquet a statement that one company makes a category of machines. The statement did not name the machine type. Separately, ASML describes EUV lithography as unique to the company.
What ASML says is unique about EUV
Lithography uses light and optics to project circuit patterns onto silicon wafers. EUV means extreme ultraviolet; DUV means deep ultraviolet. ASML describes EUV lithography as unique to the company, a statement about EUV specifically.
ASML’s EUV light source turns molten tin droplets into plasma. A low-intensity laser pulse first flattens a droplet, then a stronger pulse vaporizes it. ASML says this process repeats 50,000 times per second. The droplets are about 25 micrometers across and travel at 70 meters per second.
EUV and DUV use different wavelengths
ASML gives the EUV wavelength as 13.5 nanometers. Its technical description also lists two DUV wavelengths: 193 nm for argon fluoride (ArF) and 248 nm for krypton fluoride (KrF).
| Lithography type | Light wavelength |
| EUV | 13.5 nm |
| ArF DUV | 193 nm |
| KrF DUV | 248 nm |
These numbers describe the wavelength of the light, not a chip’s node size. The shorter EUV wavelength is one reason the technology can print smaller features.
What reported Chinese lithography efforts involve
Reports on Chinese equipment describe development and testing of a deep-ultraviolet (DUV) lithography system by Shanghai Yuliangsheng, including testing by chipmakers such as Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC). The system described is DUV equipment; ASML’s stated position concerns EUV lithography.
Why EUV systems rely on a wider supplier network
ZEISS supplies optics used in ASML’s EUV systems. That relationship shows why the system supplier and the makers of its specialized components are distinct roles: ASML’s position in EUV does not mean every component comes from ASML.
