We already talked to you in its day about the consequences of the ASML monopoly on the chip manufacturing industry, where the future passes through the manufacturing nodes that make use of EUV technology. The veto on the technology and machinery of the Dutch company has meant that foundries such as China SMIC cannot develop chips under the most advanced manufacturing nodes where the small size of their transistors forces them to use this type of technology.
The fact that there is a monopoly in what is a means of production such as the EUV machinery means that whoever manufactures them can, by not having competition and not entering into a price war to attract customers, can set the price they want to their customers. customers. Which in the case of ASML are the large foundries. That is, TSMC, Intel, and Samsung. However, it appears that its ASML monopoly may be beginning to end with the emergence of a potential new entrant in the market.
Luxexcel, the startup that could stand up to ASML
Founded more than a decade ago by Guido Groet, former Vice President of ASML, Luxexcel is a Dutch company that started in the business of 3D printing of optics for different applications. From the automotive market through optics for industrial machinery and even taking its technology to space and also manufacturing spectacle lenses for people with vision problems. To achieve this, Luxexcel uses a proprietary technology that allows them to print all kinds of transparent products from their 3D printers, being one of the markets where smart glasses or Smart Glasses are most promising.
What does all this have to do with ASML? Simple, the same Luxexcel technology is not only key to creating lenses for different applications, it is also key in the creation of solutions in the form of EUV machinery. Where Luxexcel’s optical technology would be key to be able to create alternative machinery to ASML, Although at the moment his business seems to be that he will focus on using his technology to create custom lenses to the vision problems of each one of us.
Luxexcel technology can also be used for the creation by foundries of their own machinery, in a business model that would not be based on selling the machinery directly as ASML does, but on licensing the technology so that TSMC, Samsung and / or Intel can create their own equipment and does not depend on ASML for the creation of future chips using EUV nodes.