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Technology Stocks : ASML Holding NV -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TI2, TechInvestorToo who wrote (1012)	6/14/2005 8:20:04 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Respond to of 43393

Market Pulse: UBS upgrades ASML to buy Tuesday June 14, 3:02 am ET By Steve Goldstein LONDON (MarketWatch) -- ASML Holding N.V. was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS, with the broker citing increased demand for its 193nm immersion tools, which will help it offset weakness in DRAM orders in 2006.

To: TI2, TechInvestorToo who wrote (1012)	6/28/2005 2:40:41 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Respond to of 43393

ASML wins step-and-scan victory over Ultratech, claims law firm Peter Clarke EE Times (06/28/2005 12:40 PM EDT) LONDON — Dutch photolithography company ASML won a legal victory Tuesday (June 21) when an Oakland, California federal district court jury, found that a patent held by Ultratech Inc. was invalid and that ASML Holding B.V. was not liable for infringement, according to law firm Irell & Manella LLP, which represented ASML during the four-week trial. San Jose-based Ultratech originally filed suit in May 2000, charging infringement against a host of photolithography equipment makers, including Nikon and Canon. Both Nikon and Canon chose to settle and entered into licensing agreements with Ultratech, Irell & Manella LLP said. ASML's defense was that step-and-scan systems represented prior art and therefore could not infringe. "Ultratech's claims of infringement went to the very heart of step-and-scan technology, a technology that ASML pioneered," said Jonathan Kagan, trial counsel on the case and a partner at Irell & Manella, in a statement. "We are very satisfied that the jury recognized that Ultratech's claim, and its patent, was meritless." After the law suit was initiated ASML merged with Silicon Valley Group, which developed some of the "step and scan" technology as a prior art. In its decision on June 21, the Oakland jury found that Ultratech's '996 patent was found invalid based on prior art. "ASML could have settled as its competitors had done, but the company's certainty that the patent was invalid was borne out by the jury," said Morgan Chu, lead trial counsel, in the same statement.

To: TI2, TechInvestorToo who wrote (1012)	7/7/2005 8:24:00 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Respond to of 43393

ASML to debut hyper NA immersion at Semicon Mark LaPedus EE Times (07/06/2005 3:05 PM EDT) SAN JOSE, Calif. — Responding to Nikon Corp.'s recent move in immersion lithography, ASML Holding NV is expected to debut its first hyper numerical aperture (NA) machine for volume chip production. At the Semicon West trade show in San Francisco next week, ASML (Veldhoven, the Netherlands) is expected to unveil the XT1700i, a 193-nm immersion tool with a hyper NA of 1.20, according to industry sources. The XT1700i from the Dutch-based lithography giant is reportedly based on the company's Twinscan dual-stage platform. The lens within the tool will make use of a uni-axial catadioptric design, which means it will use 3-to-4 mirrors along with refractive lenses, sources said. The system will ship in the second or third quarter of 2006, sources said. A spokeswoman from ASML acknowledged that the company would introduce the system, but declined to comment on the details or specifications. ASML's move follows Nikon's entry into the hyper NA immersion market. Seeking to take the technical lead in lithography, Nikon last week rolled out what the company claimed was the world's first hyper NA immersion system for volume chip production. The NSR-S609B from Nikon (Tokyo) is a 193-nm immersion, "tandem-stage" lithography scanner with a hyper NA of 1.07. Aimed for chip production at 55-nm and development at 45-nm, the machine can process 130 or more wafers per hour — with no sign of immersion-specific defects, Nikon claimed. That machine will ship in the second half of this year, it was noted. Japan's Canon Inc. is also developing a dual-stage, immersion lithography tool, but the machine is not expected to hit the market until 2006 (see Sept. 26, 2001 story). Both ASML and Nikon have also separately announced immersion tools for R&D purposes, with an NA below 1.0. The hyper NA tools are geared for actual chip production at the 45-nm node or sooner. Many leading-edge chip makers are banking on immersion lithography for IC production at the 45-nm node and perhaps beyond. Still others with more aggressive roadmaps hope to insert tools at the 65-nm node (see March 4 story). "I think immersion is very close to being ready," according to one analyst. "I'm sure there will be some early product issues, but they'll be worked out." ASML itself has shipped several immersion tools with an NA below 1.0 to a number of customers, including Albany Nanotech, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC) and others. Intel Corp. is expected to obtain tools from both ASML and Nikon. With its hyper NA machine, ASML is still working on several aspects of the design. To reduce flare, ASML's lens design will require a 90-Watt power source from Cymer Inc. (San Deigo). ASML is reportedly also tweaking the nozzle design in an effort to reduce the microbubble issues in chip production, sources said. "If they don't resolve that soon, then their system will not be ready for prime time," according to the source.

To: TI2, TechInvestorToo who wrote (1012)	7/12/2005 3:12:47 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 43393

ASML Introduces the Industry's Highest NA Immersion Tool for Volume Chip Production At 45 nm Node Tuesday July 12, 3:00 pm ET SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 12, 2005--ASML Holding NV (ASML) today announced a new lithography system with the highest numerical aperture (NA)(a) - 1.2 - in the semiconductor industry. The ASML TWINSCAN(TM) XT:1700i system is a 193 nm immersion scanner capable of volume chip production at the 45 nm node. The new system has a NA that jumped from 0.93 to 1.2, skipping the perceived, pre-immersion barrier of 1.0. The first shipment to a customer, a leading semiconductor manufacturer ordering its second ASML immersion system, will take place in Q1 2006. The XT:1700i allows chip makers to improve resolution by 30 percent, the largest improvement in decades. Better resolution means more chips per wafer or more functionality per chip, thus increasing the value of each wafer. Additionally, the XT:1700i has the highest throughput currently available, 122 wafers per hour, for the 45 nm node. "The XT:1700i is a milestone for the semiconductor industry. The continuation of Moore's Law depended on either adapting existing or introducing new technology. ASML was able to enhance its fourth-generation immersion systems with a NA that is unchallenged in the market," said Martin van den Brink, executive vice president, marketing and technology, ASML. Additional customer benefits found in the XT:1700i include: A new catadioptric lens design which combines refractive components with mirrors to create a hyper NA lens that is cost effective to manufacture and a consistent size with other ASML systems. Co-designed with ASML's optics partner, Carl Zeiss SMT AG, the new lens will also extend to larger NAs in future products; A maximum field size of 26 by 33 mm, the largest in the industry; A polarized illumination system for improved contrast and exposure latitude at full throughput. With an NA of 1.2, polarization enhances resolution by 5 nm, from 50 to 45 nm; A fourth-generation, dual-stage immersion tool. All previous generation tools are being used by real customers to produce real chips. About ASML ASML is the world's leading provider of lithography systems for the semiconductor industry, manufacturing complex machines that are critical to the production of integrated circuits or chips. Headquartered in Veldhoven, the Netherlands, ASML is traded on Euronext Amsterdam and NASDAQ under the symbol ASML. (a)Similar to a camera lens, the numerical aperture - the opening angle of the lens - determines the resolution: the higher the number, the clearer the view. In the case of lithography, higher resolution allows chip makers to draw more refined features onto silicon wafers. For more information on lithography and definitions of technical terms, please see the Lithography Glossary in the "Press" section of ASML.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: ASML Holding NV

To: TI2, TechInvestorToo who wrote (1012)	9/13/2005 8:41:36 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 43393

Five Nasdaq Stars 09.13.05, 8:30 AM ET NEW YORK - If you're looking for a growth stock to add to your portfolio, the Nasdaq market makes a good place to start searching. Here are five standouts. Our criteria: both market capitalization and sales greater than $100 million; three-year annualized revenue growth of 5% or greater; and positive free cash flow (net income less capital expenditures plus depreciation) for the past 12 months. We also limited ourselves to companies expected to increase their earnings at an annualized clip of 10% or better over the next few years. These stocks go for no more than 25 times estimated earnings for the coming 12 months and less than five times price-to-tangible book value. Nasdaq Growth Company Price Industry Estimated P/E, Next 12 Months EPS Projected Growth* Market Value ($mil) ASML Holding (nasdaq: ASML - news - people ) $17.57 Semiconductors 24 15% $8,476 Biosite (nasdaq: BSTE - news - people ) 59.23 Biotechnology & Drugs 20 15 1,021 CDW (nasdaq: CDWC - news - people ) 61.46 Retail (Catalog & Mail Order) 18 19 4,888 East West Bancorp (nasdaq: EWBC - news - people ) 33.63 Regional Banks 17 18 1,777 Fossil (nasdaq: FOSL - news - people ) 21.10 Jewelry & Silverware 17 20 1,498 forbes.com