ASML Holdings NV and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co have put in place measures to deactivate the world’s most advanced chipmaking machines if China were to invade Taiwan.
ASML has claimed that it has the ability to remotely disable the machine in case of Chinese invasion. The remote shut-off applies to the Netherland based ASML’s line of extreme ultraviolet machines, known within the industry as EUVs for which TSMC is its single biggest client.
EUVs, or extreme ultraviolet lithography machines, utilize high-frequency light waves to craft the tiniest microchip transistors imaginable. This technology not only facilitates the production of chips with artificial intelligence capabilities but also enables the development of chips crucial for highly sensitive military applications. About the size of a city bus, an EUV machine necessitates regular maintenance and updates. As part of this process, the company has the capability to remotely initiate a shutdown, essentially serving as a kill switch.
The Netherlands-based firm stands as the sole manufacturer of these machines, each fetching more than $217 million. The stakes are undeniably high, with approximately 90% of the world’s most cutting-edge chips being produced in Taiwan.
