ASML, Makers of Semiconductor Fab Machinery, Reports a Fire Incident

[btarunr]

ASML, the company that makes semiconductor fab machinery that powers most of today's cutting-edge foundries, has reported a fire incident in one of its plants near Berlin. The company reports that the incident occurred at night, none of its employees are injured, and that the fire is extinguished. The company says that it does not know at this point how the incident affects supplies, since it hasn't undertaken a damage-assessment. The Berlin plant of ASML manufactures components of silicon lithography equipment, including some key mechanical and optical components, such as wafer tables and clamps, reticle chucks and mirror blocks. ASML inherited this plant when it acquired Berliner Glas in 2020.



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[DrCR]

Wow, I’m both surprised and not surprised the memory manufacturers are resorting to burning other companies’ plants at this point. I guess they realized no one would believe another flood story. Looks like Samsung broke rank and raised SSD prices a day too early. This post is also totally, 100% serious…

 

[R-T-B]

Wow, I’m both surprised and not surprised the memory manufacturers are resorting to burning other companies’ plants at this point. I guess they realized no one would believe another flood story. Looks like Samsung broke rank and raised SSD prices a day too early. This post is also totally, 100% serious…

Do I detect a hint of sarcasm?

anyways, in case serious, ASML does not make memory. They supply fabs with silicon making... stuff.

 

[Kohl Baas]

Do I detect a hint of sarcasm?

anyways, in case serious, ASML does not make memory. They supply fabs with silicon making... stuff.

Doesn't matter. Just another cause to drive up prices.

 

[zlobby]

Yep...

 

[Tartaros]

Doesn't matter. Just another cause to drive up prices.

Ah, another classic "because [insert cause], nand prices increased by [insert amount]" thread? I'm in.

 

[zlobby]

Ah, another classic "because [insert cause], nand prices increased by [insert amount]" thread? I'm in.

It was the same thing with platter disks back then. A fire? A flood? A flu? I get a price hike, you get a price hike, everyone gets a price hike!

 

[Tartaros]

It was the same thing with platter disks back then. A fire? A flood? A flu? I get a price hike, you get a price hike, everyone gets a price hike!

The best thing is getting creative in the causes. Like a elephant stampede parading a nand production plant or the new intern stepping on the big red button on the floor that says "stop production".

 

[PhantomTaco]

The best thing is getting creative in the causes. Like a elephant stampede parading a nand production plant or the new intern stepping on the big red button on the floor that says "stop production".

FWIW ASML manufactures the lithography tools (both DUV and EUV). This fire didn't occur at a fab producing wafers. It doesn't slow down current production at fabs globally in any way whatsoever. It might slow down delivery of new tools to customers like TSMC/Samsung/Intel though.

As for the big red button: they are literally everywhere in fabs. Every tool has a big red EMO (Emergency Off) button on them. In fact, they have multiple: if it's a large tool it is required to have an EMO button every 6 feet I believe it is. Why? Safety. There are hundreds if not thousands of massive tools in a modern fab. They all have all kinds of dangerous aspects to them: extremely powerful magnets, asphyxiating gas, toxic substances, radiation, flammable gasses/materials, **ludicrously** high voltages, pinch/crushing hazards etc. Sometimes someone HAS to hit one of these buttons to prevent either serious machine damage, or worse serious bodily harm/death. Sometimes they are bumped accidentally (though they normally have a protective cage around them to prevent this from happening).

 

[stimpy88]

You have to love the semiconductor industry, and its penchant for fires. It's mere coincidence that it drives profits up each time...

 

[Wirko]

The best thing is getting creative in the causes. Like a elephant stampede parading a nand production plant or the new intern stepping on the big red button on the floor that says "stop production".

That's not necessary. Corporations create fragile supply chains with a fair number of weak points, and governments make sure monopolies are undisturbed. Accidents eventually happen, there's no need to summon them in any way.

 

[R-T-B]

FWIW ASML manufactures the lithography tools (both DUV and EUV). This fire didn't occur at a fab producing wafers. It doesn't slow down current production at fabs globally in any way whatsoever. It might slow down delivery of new tools to customers like TSMC/Samsung/Intel though.

Don't let that ruin the TPU conspiracy parade.

 

[zlobby]

FWIW ASML manufactures the lithography tools (both DUV and EUV). This fire didn't occur at a fab producing wafers. It doesn't slow down current production at fabs globally in any way whatsoever. It might slow down delivery of new tools to customers like TSMC/Samsung/Intel though.

Enough of an excuse to speculate on the prices.

 

[ProDigit]

What happens when the only company in the world making modern lithography machines would cease to exist?

A small fire, won't affect the prices by much at all, if you know that one machine goes for $120M, and the damage a fire could have caused is only in the 10s to below $100k at worst...

 

[stimpy88]

Don't let that ruin the TPU conspiracy parade.

Ever heard of something called... A joke? You do have a sense of humour, right?

Some people in here are so easily offended at things that are simply nothing to do with them! Or maybe some here own their own semiconductor business? If so, be careful with the petrol can, and the stop button!

 

[zlobby]

Ever heard of something called... A joke? You do have a sense of humour, right?

Some people in here are so easily offended at things that are simply nothing to do with them! Or maybe some here own their own semiconductor business? If so, be careful with the petrol can, and the stop button!

Maybe he was joking too? It's hard to grasp the original attitude of someone from just a text.

But I agree in general, people here are somewhat easily offended.

 

[Tartaros]

Maybe he was joking too? It's hard to grasp the original attitude of someone from just a text.

But I agree in general, people here are somewhat easily offended.

uuhm..

Ah, another classic "because [insert cause], nand prices increased by [insert amount]" thread? I'm in.

you don't have to squint your eyes too much to see it was a joke

 

[R-T-B]

Ever heard of something called... A joke? You do have a sense of humour, right?

Internet masks emotions pretty well. I do know a lot of people here are totally seriously in conspiracy land. Either way your post was not what I was commenting about.

and I would not say I was offended. That would imply it bothered me. It's amusing at this point.