SAN FRANCISCO — Intel has cut its stake in lithography vendor ASML holding to just below 3%, according to a regulatory filing made with the the Netherlands’ Authority for Financial Markets earlier this week. The filing was reported by the Reuters news service earlier Friday.

ASML did not immediately respond to request for comment by EE Times. A spokeswoman for Intel, declined to comment, citing company policy against commenting on public company investments beyond that required by applicable securities or other laws.

Recommended

Intel Ceding Leadership in EUV

In 2012, Intel, Samsung and TSMC all invested heavily in ASML as a way to jump-start development of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, with Intel sinking in $4 billion to acquire a 10% stake.

All three chipmakers have now cut their stakes in ASML by at least 50%. TSMC sold all of its ASML shares in 2015, while Samsung and Intel began unloading ASML shares in 2016.

Since Intel invested in ASML — July 9, 2012 — ASML's stock price has grown by about 350%, rising from about $49 per share to close at nearly $172 a share Thursday (Oct 11).

After years of delays, EUV development — aided by the investments from the leading-edge chipmakers — has finally progressed to the point where it is on the verge of being deployed in production. Samsung has said it will begin using EUV in production later this year, and TSMC said this week it taped out its first chip in a process making limited use of EUV and that it plans to start risk production on 5nm using full EUV next April.

Partnered Content: Learn why signal chain expertise is Mission Critical for DoD