ASML Holding (NASDAQ: ASML) is one of the most important semiconductor equipment companies in the world. The Dutch company is the world's largest producer of photolithography systems, which are used to etch circuit patterns onto silicon wafers. It's also the only producer of high-end EUV (extreme ultraviolet) lithography systems, which are used to produce the world's smallest and densest chips.
ASML's EUV systems cost about $200 million each and require multiple planes to ship. The world's most advanced chip foundries -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM), Samsung, Intel, and Micron -- all use those EUV systems to manufacture their newest chips. ASML also sells cheaper and less advanced DUV (deep ultraviolet) systems to lower-tier foundries like UMC and GlobalFoundries, as well as integrated device manufacturers (IDM) like Texas Instruments.
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Source Fool.com