ASML’s Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography and the Limits of Reverse Engineering in China

In June, the U.S. Department of Commerce informed the Dutch company ASML that it suspects one of its extreme ultraviolet lithography machines has reached China, an accusation that ASML denied, and for which no supporting evidence has yet been made public. ASML is the sole global producer of the machines capable of making the most advanced microchips. Whether China obtained a full extreme ultraviolet lithography scanner, major subsystems, or just related components, the strategic question is the same: How much can China gain from physical access to these pieces of the technology?The U.S. concer