THE WORLD'S MOST COMPLEX MACHINE

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

Advanced semiconductors are the most important technology in the world. However, everyone who hopes to manufacture semiconductors is dependent on ASML, a relatively obscure Dutch company. ASML makes the only machines in the world capable of stenciling the transistors onto a chip with the precision necessary to fit billions on a 30-centimeter wafer. This article tells the story of how ASML overtook its competition to become the sole supplier of these machines.