ASML raises EUV production as AI demand grows

Dutch chip equipment maker ASML plans to lift production of its extreme ultraviolet lithography machines by about 36% in 2026 as demand rises from the AI data center buildout.

The company aims to make at least 60 standard EUV systems this year and 80 in 2027, up from its usual 40 to 50 a year.

It has also raised its 2026 sales forecast to 40 billion euros (US$46.9 billion) from 36 billion euros (US$42.2 billion) on April 15.

ASML also plans to spend US$2.2 billion on facilities and infrastructure this year, 20% more than last year, as chipmakers face equipment shortages, as the company is trying to avoid becoming a bottleneck for customers, said Christophe Fouquet, CEO of ASML.

🔗 Source: The Chosun Daily

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

ASML’s 40 billion euros (US$46.9 billion) forecast comes from pricier tools as well as volume

ASML’s revenue growth comes from more than higher shipments of its standard extreme ultraviolet lithography machines.
The company is also rolling out High-NA EUV systems, a more advanced form of EUV that makes smaller, more powerful chips for AI. Each tool costs more than 350 million euros (US$410 million) 1.
This higher-margin line is moving into wider commercial use. Intel has finished acceptance testing for its first High-NA systems for mass production, and Samsung has started taking deliveries for its upcoming 2 nanometer chip manufacturing lines 2.
Demand also reaches beyond logic chipmakers. Memory makers SK Hynix and Micron are adding EUV capacity for High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), a type of memory used in AI servers 2.

ASML’s expansion shapes the pace of AI computing

ASML says it wants to avoid becoming a bottleneck, yet its EUV output still sets a limit on how quickly global AI computing capacity can expand 3.
That gives ASML unusual sway. Record net bookings tie back to AI data center plans at Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet, and Amazon through orders placed with chipmakers 4.
Its order book and backlog offer a read on AI infrastructure spending that can stretch across several years 4.
The effects run upstream. Data center projects, power purchases, and power generation plans depend on leading-edge chips that require EUV tools 3.
ASML also expects less exposure to China. The company says China should make up about 20% of sales this year, down from 33% in 2025, before any added U.S. restrictions 5.