Intel Orders ASML Machine Still on Drawing Board as Chipmakers Look For an Edge

The Intel Corporation logo is seen on a display in a store in Manhattan, New York City, November 24, 2021. (Reuters)
The Intel Corporation logo is seen on a display in a store in Manhattan, New York City, November 24, 2021. (Reuters)
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Intel Orders ASML Machine Still on Drawing Board as Chipmakers Look For an Edge

The Intel Corporation logo is seen on a display in a store in Manhattan, New York City, November 24, 2021. (Reuters)
The Intel Corporation logo is seen on a display in a store in Manhattan, New York City, November 24, 2021. (Reuters)

Intel has placed the first order with ASML for an advanced chipmaking machine that is still on the drawing board and won't be delivered for years, as semiconductor manufacturers look to get ahead in a booming industry.

Alongside better-than-expected fourth quarter earnings, ASML said on Wednesday it had now received orders for five of its next generation of lithography machines, plus an order for the even newer model that is still being designed.

In a separate joint press release, the companies said Intel was the buyer.

ASML's most advanced commercial machines, known as EUV lithography systems because of the "Extreme Ultraviolet" light waves they use to map out the circuitry of computer chips, are the size of a bus and cost around $150 million each.

A cutting-edge chip plant needs 9-18 of them, making them one of chipmakers' biggest capital expenditure costs.

ASML is the only maker of such machines and its EUV customers include the world's biggest chipmakers, TSMC of Taiwan, Samsung of South Korea and Intel, among others.

ASML said it had now received orders for five of the next iteration of the system, known as "High NA" EUV machines, which will have a different lens system with a higher numerical aperture, will be even larger and cost around $300 million each.

The first prototypes are to be shipped in 2023. They are not expected to be used in volume manufacturing until 2025.

Intel, which is trying to win back its position as maker of the smallest and fastest chips from current leader TSMC, had previously identified itself as the first buyer of a High NA machine, ASML's EXE:5000, which is expected to help manufacturers shrink chip sizes later this decade.

Intel said on Wednesday it would buy the first EXE:5200 as well, which is expected to make several improvements including higher productivity. Neither company mentioned the price tag.



Musk Slams Trump-backed AI Mega Project

 Elon Musk, right, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai arrive before the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP)
Elon Musk, right, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai arrive before the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP)
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Musk Slams Trump-backed AI Mega Project

 Elon Musk, right, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai arrive before the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP)
Elon Musk, right, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai arrive before the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP)

Elon Musk on Wednesday cast doubt on a $500 billion AI project announced by US President Donald Trump, saying the money promised for the investment actually wasn't there.

The comments were a rare instance of a split between the world's richest man and Trump, with Musk playing a key role in the newly installed administration after spending $270 million on the election campaign.

In his first full day in the White House, Trump on Tuesday announced a major investment to build infrastructure for artificial intelligence led by Japanese giant SoftBank and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.

Trump said the venture, called Stargate, "will invest $500 billion, at least, in AI infrastructure in the United States."

But in a post on his social media platform X, Musk said the main investors "don't actually have the money."

"SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority," Musk added in a subsequent post.

Musk's sideswipe could be particularly targeted at OpenAI, the world's leading AI startup that Musk helped found, before leaving in 2018.

The Tesla boss and OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, who was present at the White House on Tuesday, have been mired in a serious feud, with Musk opening repeated lawsuits against the company behind ChatGPT.

OpenAI is one of the world's highest valued startups, but loses money on the high costs of turning out its expensive technology.

According to the Wall Street Journal, cloud giant Oracle, which is also involved, has about $11 billion in cash and securities. SoftBank has roughly $30 billion of cash on hand.

The Stargate project is committed to investing an initial $100 billion and up to $500 billion over the next four years in the project.