The Entire World Relies on a Machine Made by ONE Company

@1:38 We made a mistake and the map of the Netherlands was not to scale. Face palm moment Visit brilliant.org/Newsthink/ to get started learning math, science, and computer science for FREE, and the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription.

In ASMLs video about their new machine, one of the engineers said the lenses by Carl Zeiss used in the machine are so flat, that if the lens were scaled up to the size of the USA, the largest bump would be the size of a dust particle. That's just insane

I believe a short history lesson is called for here. ASML bought out a company called Silicon Valley Group (SVG), which had previously purchased the Microlithography division from Perkin-Elmer who had originally developed the technology in Wilton Connecticut, USA. How do I know this? I worked for SVG for 11 years, and my father worked for all 3 corporations for 46 years, and was one of the research and development engineers who made it all happen. In fact, my father was one of the physicists who cracked the deep UV problem in the 90's while working for SVG in Wilton, CT. The manufacturing facilities are continuing to operate in Wilton Connecticut, USA where most of the R&D still occurs.

I grew up in Eindhoven and studied at the technical university. Everyone knows ASML here. One of my physics professors once said that the speed of progress in the world gets set here in Veldhoven by ASML, since they set the benchmark for the fastest chips.

In The Netherlands, ASML is often mentioned in the news, always described as a ‘chip maker’. So I thought it was a small sort of Intel, making chips for some niche markets. This video completely changes that perspective. I wouldn’t call them a ‘chip maker’ at all! They’re the company making the machines that make chips, something different entirely! It’s like calling JCB a building company…

Wow I didn’t know ASML was that big, I live in the Netherlands, and I am a CNC lathe worker for a local company. I make some simple pieces for ASML not thinking it was that big of a company. Sick!!

Started working on EUV stuff back around 2014, 9 years later I'm involved in it's vacuum control system design. Been an interesting ride so far, and the changes never stop as fine tuning in the processes get worked out requiring different controls, valves, gases, volume, evacuation, abatement, etc.... most fun job I've ever had,

Please note: ASML advanced EUV lithography uses mirrors instead of lenses, as EUV light cannot pass any lense material. For the slightly less advanced technology, DUV, lenses are used.

For an explanation of how the photolithography works, basically: 1. 300mm wafer is put on a chuck, it is held down by suction. 2. a photosensitive chemical is laid down. The thickness is determined by pour rate and rpm of spinning wafer which distributes and sheds any excess. 3. quick bake of photosensitive chemical. 4. loaded into photolithog machine. The ones I used were Nikons. But I remember having ASMLs next door. A UV light is generated using mercury arc lamps, the image is shrunk a different amount, (2x, 4, 5x) using a lens. The image is serially burned into the wafer, called step and repeat. This is why you see the same pattern on the wafer. 5. Once done the wafer has its images developed. I remember using HMDS hexamethadisilazane (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bis(trimethylsilyl)amine). Then I believe it is baked again. 6. then off to CMP(cold metal polish), where they grind off the excess to expose either the circuit wires or the spaces those wires will go. There were many layers to the chips, each one requiring the blue print of the circuit to be photolithogged on. the circuit layers had a M prefix, like M1, M2 etc, interconnecting(so perpendicular to the chip surface would be called V1, V2 etc (for via, road in latin), then there were random names for the n-wells and p-wells. 20 years ago or so I worked at an IBM 200mm line in Vermont. Since then it has been bought by the middle eastern fab company called Global Semiconductor. I still remember enough to explain it apparently but forgot enough to not remember the trauma of working 12 hour shifts lol. PS Nikon was a competitor

I do not remember when a story fascinated me like this one. To be the only one in the world manufacturing something, and to not get copied, is really unbelievable.

I saw an ASML Air Frieght Crate slipping off the Elevator while unloading at the airport. Luckily they are shipped in 5 Crates (each machine doesn't all come in one part) and there wasn't much physical damage but there was a €90 million cost and 6 month delay just to readjust the accuracy tolerance parameters of the lasers. Crazy.

Great, now make a video about Zeiss lenses that ASML uses in their lithography machines. Fun fact both Zeiss and philips helped in building ASML as a company.

A friend of mine works there. He had a PhD in physics. There is A LOT of high tech companies around Eindhoven in the Netherlands, and it's not a coincidence that the Eindhoven University of Technology exists.

fun fact: The EUV lasers, that are employed inside the lithography machines of ASML are made by a german company called TRUMPF. It is the only company world wide that can build these lasers.

And the heart of ASML lithography machine is lenses from Carl Zeiss

It's more concerning that just 1 location has the ability to produce such a vital piece of equipment.

The fastest chips in the world are from Croky. A Dutch chips brand. They come in different flavours, personally I prefer 'Paprika' the most. They are so fast that once I open the bag it's empty in a minute or two. Now, that's fast!

I work at a company that makes a part of the machine and its realy cool to see what kind of stuff they do with it

Great video Cindy - nice work. Hope to see more from you in future.

My radio when I was a kid had tubes so when I read these comments they are Latin to me but I am blown away by the progress that has been made in just my 86 years. My hat is off to the scientific community and let’s pray that all these accomplishments go toward the good of mankind 🙏