Xiver, a specialist foundry on the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven with more than 100 staff, is adding an ASML PAS 5500 deep ultraviolet lithography tool that is due to come online in 2027.
Credit: this report is based on a story first published by IO+. Read the original at ioplus.nl.
According to IO+, Xiver is investing in an ASML PAS 5500 deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography system to expand its production capacity for microsystems and photonics. The company is based at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, in the Brainport region.
IO+ describes Xiver as the only medium-sized pure-play foundry in Europe with DUV lithography in-house. The new tool is expected to become operational in 2027.
What the tool adds
The PAS 5500 allows double-sided wafer patterning and submicron 3D micromachining. IO+ links these capabilities to optical communications, infrared sensing and ultrasonic transducers, where precision and pattern fidelity matter.
The system works with both CMOS and non-CMOS materials. The report names silicon, gold and thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) as examples, which lets the foundry serve customers ranging from semiconductor equipment makers to developers of advanced sensors.
For photonics customers, the main gain is in waveguide geometries: lower propagation losses and tighter bend radii. The tool also gives deep-submicron features with precise alignment between layers.
From R&D to volume
IO+ reports that the tool should shorten the path from prototyping to mass production, as demand for photonic components grows in telecoms, medical equipment and industrial sensors.
Xiver focuses on microsystems and photonics, a niche that large foundries often overlook, according to the report. Its markets include optical communications and infrared sensing, two areas where IO+ says Europe can build a strong position.
Team and context
The company is led by chief executive Wil van de Wiel and chief technology officer Joost van Beek, and employs more than 100 people.
The PAS 5500 belongs to ASML's DUV portfolio. IO+ notes that ASML sold 279 DUV systems in 2025, 47% of them immersion systems. ASML's EUV machines serve the most advanced chip nodes, while DUV remains in use for tasks such as 3D micromachining and double-sided patterning, the two capabilities Xiver is investing in.
What comes next
The PAS 5500 is scheduled to start operating in 2027. IO+ ties the investment to rising demand for photonic components driven by AI, 5G and advanced sensors, and reports that the tool should cut customers' time to market by speeding up production of complex designs.
Original source: IO+, "XIVER strengthens production with ASML DUV lithography tool"
