ASML’s EUV Lithography Dominance Fuels AI Chip Monopoly

ASML's projected €60 billion revenue underscores its stranglehold on advanced AI chip production, with a 46% year-over-year growth. The company's extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems now control 100% of cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing, creating an irreversible bottleneck in the AI chip supply chain.

First-quarter results reveal staggering metrics: €3.9 billion in net bookings, including €1.2 billion from EUV systems alone, while maintaining 54% gross margins. Five High-NA systems have now been deployed, with 73 lithography machines shipped in Q1 2025—each $150 million apparatus becoming the irreplaceable foundation of Moore's Law continuation.

Market alternatives have evaporated as all sub-7nm processors require ASML's technology. CEO Christophe Fouquet's strategy has transformed the Dutch firm from equipment supplier to infrastructure gatekeeper—where every AI breakthrough begins at their cleanrooms.