In the hopes of accelerating the pace of chipmaking technology development Intel commits €3.3 billion for a 15% share into Dutch chipmaking equipment vendor ASML.
The funding will go in the further development of 450mm wafer and Extreme Ultra-Violet (EUV) litography-- technologies that could not only slash production costs but even help maintain the Intel mantra, Moore's Law (the prediction saying the average number of transistors per chip doubles every 18 months).
ASML is the biggest supplier of chipmaking equipment in the world. It recently asked its 3 biggest customers-- Intel, TSMC and Samsung-- for R&D investments in order to help the company cement its market position, save money and beat the competition.
ASML predicts EUV technology will be used for mass production from early 2013, first for chips below 20nm before breaking the 10nm barrier within the next 10 years.