ASML Holding

ASML Holding N.V. (ASML) is a Dutch company that develops machines, software and services used to manufacture semiconductors. Its main products are lithography systems, which use light to transfer tiny circuit patterns onto silicon wafers. These patterns are part of the process of building chips used in smartphones, computers, vehicles and AI systems.

Headquartered in Veldhoven, the Netherlands, ASML serves chip manufacturers such as TSMC, Samsung and Intel. It is the only commercial supplier of extreme ultraviolet, or EUV, lithography systems, which handle some of the most intricate chip layers. Its deep ultraviolet, or DUV, machines handle other layers and a wider range of chipmaking needs. ASML also provides software and inspection tools that help manufacturers improve accuracy and reduce defects.

How ASML Makes Money

ASML makes money by selling lithography machines, measurement and inspection equipment, and software licences to chip manufacturers. Customers buy new systems when they expand factories or adopt manufacturing processes that require greater precision. EUV supports advanced chip production, while DUV remains important across both advanced and more established processes.

The relationship continues after a machine is installed. ASML earns from maintenance, spare parts, technical support and upgrades that help customers produce more chips or improve performance. This means it can generate revenue from equipment already in use, alongside new machine sales. Its business therefore depends on both chipmakers' factory investment and the activity of the existing equipment fleet. Long machine lifetimes create opportunities for repeat income, although customers delaying expansion or reducing production can affect demand.

For more information read our detailed breakdown of how ASML makes money.