ASML Warns of More Semiconductor Tool Shortages
Peter Wennink, the CEO of ASML (ASML) has indicated that the company is continuing to struggle to meet customer demand and that delivery delays should be expected to continue. ASML experience a fire in its Berlin facility that disrupted production of components for its DUV and EUV lithography tools and while the DUV component production has resumed, EUV component (wafer clamps) production was more severely affected, however that has been only a part of ASML’s troubles as the company’s supply chain of over 200 critical components is facing shortages of their own. As each EUV tool is custom built to customer specifications, any supply disruptions can cause the whole build and test process to be delayed.
Given the number of new fabs announced over the last few months, the next two years should be the perfect environment for ASML to expand its business, and the company expects it will see more orders this year than last, but component constraints and a lack of qualified staffing are keeping the company from taking full advantage of its monopoly position in the lithography space. An example was given as to Carl Zeiss (pvt), the supplier of lenses to ASML, who is unable to increase the number of lenses it supplies with existing tools. ASML is pushing the company to build a new clean room line, but such a project will take many months to build and roughly 12 months to manufacture the lenses, leaving ASML short during what should be the company’s ‘finest hour’. No matter what the demand is, the supply chain rules all….
Given the number of new fabs announced over the last few months, the next two years should be the perfect environment for ASML to expand its business, and the company expects it will see more orders this year than last, but component constraints and a lack of qualified staffing are keeping the company from taking full advantage of its monopoly position in the lithography space. An example was given as to Carl Zeiss (pvt), the supplier of lenses to ASML, who is unable to increase the number of lenses it supplies with existing tools. ASML is pushing the company to build a new clean room line, but such a project will take many months to build and roughly 12 months to manufacture the lenses, leaving ASML short during what should be the company’s ‘finest hour’. No matter what the demand is, the supply chain rules all….
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