Dan Ives loves ASML.
- He picks German software giant SAP, chip equipment supplier ASML, music streaming platform Spotify, and buy now pay later company Klarna.
Dan Ives loves these 4 European tech companies
PS
I buy what he sells.
ASML, since leaky shack inception, has driven out every ArFi/EUV Chip (not substrate) competitor.
BTW,...
ASML XT:260 – How This Game-Changing Machine Is Transforming Advanced Chip Packaging
Chinthakrindi Taruni
Chinthakrindi Taruni
Published Jun 25, 2025
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ASML XT:260 – How This Game-Changing Machine Is Transforming Advanced Chip Packaging
ASML’s new XT:260 isn’t another EUV marvel, but it might be even more impactful. Designed for panel-based lithography and advanced chip packaging, this machine democratizes access to high-performance computing design by offering precision, scale, and affordability.
This article explores how ASML XT:260 is transforming the future of semiconductor packaging through panel-based lithography and chiplet-level innovation.
This is Part 2 in the series on ASML and the future of chipmaking. Missed Part 1? [ Read it here]
What Exactly is the XT:260?
First things first: the XT:260 isn’t an EUV machine. It represents a new wave of accessible innovation in semiconductor manufacturing. It’s part of ASML’s i-line lithography series, a mature technology platform that’s been around for decades. But before you scroll away thinking it’s “old tech,” and nothing is new.
Let me tell you that, ASML didn’t just reuse old parts and slap a new label. They repurposed the platform for advanced packaging, which is one of the hottest thing in chip manufacturing right now.
The XT:260- semiconductor manufacturing is ASML’s way of saying:
“We don’t always have to invent something new. Sometimes, we just make something existing things better.”
Why is that important?
Because these panels can host an entire array of interconnected microchips, not just a single die or component. It’s like printing an entire circuit board’s worth of chiplets in one go. These microchips: CPUs, GPUs, memory units, accelerators are precisely aligned and interconnected at the packaging level. A whole set of interconnected microchips. That means chips don’t have to be treated like snowflakes.
From Chips to Panels: Why This Shift Matters
Let’s break it down. Traditional chipmaking is like building individual houses each one a standalone structure. Advanced packaging, especially 2.5D and 3D chiplets, is like constructing apartment blocks or even skyscrapers. You integrate multiple chiplets (CPU, GPU, memory, etc.) into a single package with ultra-short interconnects.
This means:
· Faster communication between components
· Lower power consumption
· Smaller footprint
· Better performance
Now, imagine doing all of that being done on an entire panel filled with multiple chip modules.
That’s the XT:260’s playground. It prints circuit patterns with precision across huge panels massively boosting throughput while keeping costs down.
Who Had This Idea?
Credit goes to ASML’s forward-thinking leadership. And while no single person takes public credit, Luc Van den hove the head of imec (one of ASML’s key partners), and Martin van den Brink, ASML’s long-time CTO, have always championed the "More than Moore" approach — looking beyond.
They knew that as chips get smaller and more complex, the problem isn’t just how you make them. It’s how you connect them so that the output is massive.
ASML saw the industry’s packaging bottleneck years ago and started laying the groundwork. The XT:260 is a result of that vision a machine built for what’s next.
But Isn’t This Already Being Done?
You might be thinking that Intel or TSMC are already doing the advanced chip packaging so what’s new with ASML. But here’s the catch: Those companies are building custom in-house solutions which not everyone can access or afford.
What ASML did with the XT:2600 is democratize access.They took something once limited to big fabs and made it accessible to mid-tier players, foundries, and even new entrants into chip design. ASML isn’t competing with the chipmakers. It’s empowering them.
It’s like the OpenAI but of Lithography, though they don’t build the chips, they build the machines which makes chips smarter and scalable.
The Secret Sauce? It’s Not About Being Unique
The XT:2600 doesn’t do something that nobody has ever thought of, but they added their USP, which is affordability and accessibility.
Because uniqueness isn’t always about doing something first, it’s about doing it better. ASML didn’t try to reinvent packaging. They just built a tool that makes it faster, cheaper, and more precise.
That’s the secret sauce.
A Glimpse into the XT-260 mechanism-
The XT:2600 is a masterclass in multidisciplinary engineering. Basically, it brings together optics engineering, ensuring every circuit pattern is aligned with nanometer-level precision which is critical when working with dense chip layouts. Then comes mechatronics, which handles the physical movement of large panels with speed and stability, minimizing vibrations and ensuring accurate positioning throughout the lithography process. Then the software control systems are deployed to monitor, detect, and correct any potential errors in real-time.
But apart from the hardware and code, there is something which competitors will find it hard to compete and that is- the ASML finesse. This is the result of decades of fine-tuning, experience, and a culture of perfection. It’s what makes their machines not just functional, but exceptionally reliable, efficient, and ahead of the curve in the semiconductor world.
The company leveraged years of experience from its Twinscan platforms and i-line legacy, and layered it with panel-level customization.
And If Someone Tries to Copy It? Then what would ASML be famous for?
Sure, someone could try. But ASML’s legacy isn’t only about their technology.
ASML’s dominance is about the ecosystem that builds them. With a global network of over 5,000 specialized suppliers, including ZEISS for optics and Trumpf for laser sources, ASML’s lithography systems are great example of coordinated engineering. The company holds over 17,000 active patents, reflecting decades of R&D that no competitor can quickly replicate. Their tools deliver sub-nanometer precision, and with average uptimes exceeding 90%, they’re considered the gold standard in reliability.
The benefits? How can we get benefitted with this tech?
Martin Wassink the Head of Product Management i-line scanners & Mainstream Market Options at ASML shared that this would enable us to have Faster Smartphones, more responsive laptops, Smarter AI assistants, Super-fast wearables and IoT devices, long battery life since data moves faster without extra cost and much more.
So, its's not Just a Machine, But a Movement
The XT:2600 isn’t just another lithography system. It’s ASML saying:
“The next battle isn’t just about smaller chips. It’s about smarter systems.”
With this move, ASML positions itself again as a company that doesn’t wait for the future.
It builds it.
#ASML #SemiconductorManufacturing #AdvancedPackaging #Chiplets #Lithography #EUV #TechInnovation
ASML XT:260 – How This Game-Changing Machine Is Transforming Advanced Chip Packaging |
