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US Tells ASML It’s Concerned China May Have Top Chip Tool
Bloomberg • • business
Key Points:
- Dutch chip-equipment maker ASML Holding NV is facing scrutiny from the US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over concerns that one of its advanced EUV machines may have been shipped to China, potentially violating US export restrictions.
- EUV (extreme ultraviolet lithography) machines are crucial for manufacturing advanced processors and are used by companies like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. for clients including Nvidia and Apple.
- The US government has prohibited ASML from exporting EUV systems to China since the first Trump administration as part of broader efforts to restrict China's access to cutting-edge semiconductor technology.
- Recent meetings between Lutnick and ASML senior leaders highlighted the seriousness of the issue amid ongoing tensions in US-China tech relations.
