Citation
ASML Is the Only Company Making the $200 Million Machines Needed to Print Every Advanced Microchip
TL;DR
ASML's TWINSCAN NXE:3600D costs up to $200 million per machine
This article provides primary source documentation of ASML's monopoly position in EUV lithography. The specific details - $200 million per machine, 180 tons weight, three Boeing 747s to transport, 100,000+ components - illustrate the extraordinary technical barriers that create and protect keystone species status.
ASML's monopoly demonstrates that some ecosystem positions are structurally unassailable. Unlike software monopolies that can be disrupted by new code, ASML's position rests on decades of R&D, atomic-precision manufacturing, and supply chain relationships that cannot be replicated.
Key Findings from CNBC (2022)
- ASML's TWINSCAN NXE:3600D costs up to $200 million per machine
- Each machine weighs 180 tons and requires three Boeing 747s to transport
- Machines contain over 100,000 components
- Essential for manufacturing 7nm, 5nm, and 3nm semiconductor nodes
- ASML is the sole global supplier of EUV lithography equipment