Semiconductors’ next big leap: Forging the future together

The engine of the modern semiconductor world

Semiconductors power everything from AI to the devices in our hands, and ASML Holding is at the heart of it all. As the sole provider of advanced photolithography technology needed to produce the world’s most cutting-edge chips, ASML is driving innovation for the industry's biggest names. With a global presence and a reputation as both a technology leader and trusted collaborator, ASML is shaping the future of the semiconductor world.

But ASML’s impact goes far beyond its groundbreaking machines. Its computational lithography software, metrology, and inspection solutions ensure precision and yield at scale, making it an indispensable partner in an industry under constant pressure to innovate faster and smarter.

Harnessing historical data and modernization

ASML’s innovations rely as much on data as they do on physics and optics, and two divisions — Hermes Microvision Inc. (HMI) and Brion — were each facing significant challenges in scaling their research environments.

HMI sought to harness historical silicon manufacturing data to improve defect detection. Microscopic imperfections can compromise entire chip batches, and traditional detection required post-production inspection—a reactive process that slowed feedback loops and limited yield. HMI sought a solution that could predict defects earlier, automate detection, and enhance yield predictions. This would necessitate massive parallel computing and data storage capable of handling petabytes of image and simulation data at high speed.

Brion needed to modernize its electronic design automation (EDA) data centers to accelerate its software R&D. Migrating from on‑premises systems to the cloud would mean shifting thousands of workloads and simulations, often involving models at the nanometer scale and requiring tens of thousands of CPU cores. Additionally, this new environment would need to perform seamlessly and integrate with the tools and processes ASML’s customers rely on.

From ground to cloud: Igniting innovation with Azure NetApp Files

Azure NetApp Files was selected to power both HMI and Brion’s innovations. As a cloud-native, all-flash storage solution, Azure NetApp Files provides high throughput and sub-millisecond latency while meeting the performance predictability required for advanced R&D workloads.

For HMI, the integration of Azure HPC and AI services with Azure NetApp Files enabled predictive analytics that ingest massive sets of silicon manufacturing data. By linking historical defect patterns with real-time production data, HMI moved beyond reactive inspection to proactively optimize yield and detect defects earlier.

For Brion, Azure NetApp Files supported the complete migration of its EDA software environment into Microsoft Azure. Leveraging 70,000 CPU cores in the West US 2 region and more than 3.2 petabytes of Azure NetApp Files storage, Brion scaled simulations at unprecedented levels. Features such as extensive volume support, cool access tiers for cost efficiency, and cross‑region replication ensured that the environment was not only robust but also resilient, secure, and sustainable.

By working closely with NetApp^® and Microsoft, ASML was also able to influence the prioritization of new Azure NetApp Files features, including larger quotas. Ultimately, the platform wasn’t over‑tuned for ASML’s internal use but instead mirrored the reality of customer environments. That alignment, combined with proven performance, made NetApp the clear choice.

More product and less waste for ASML and its customers

ASML has been running NetApp systems in other parts of its own environment, thereby minimizing learning curves and demonstrating the reliability of its functionality. Beyond these internal operations, the results of ASML’s deployment cascade directly to its customers. These customers manufacture semiconductors powering AI, cloud, and consumer technologies, and many of them also run NetApp for their own storage.

By analyzing historical defect data alongside real-time inspections of petabytes of records, ASML enhanced its defect detection accuracy. For semiconductor fabs, even a slight increase in yield can save millions of dollars per month by reducing wasted wafers, extending tool life, and accelerating time‑to‑market for advanced chip designs.

Brion’s move to Azure NetApp Files enabled massively parallel simulations at scale. What once required weeks can now be accomplished in days, shortening design‑to‑deployment lifecycles for critical EDA software that the fabs depend on.

By providing secure, isolated Azure NetApp Files volumes for customer data under NDA conditions, ASML attracted new engagements and strengthened trust with existing clients. This flexibility in dynamically spinning up training, testing, or production volumes provided a competitive advantage in winning customer business.

For ASML’s customers, these advances mean faster production ramps, fewer defects, and higher profitability. This improves its ability to deliver chips that power everything from smartphones to AI data centers, affirming ASML’s reputation as a leading partner in the space.

Scalable success for global collaboration

The partnership between NetApp and ASML is continuing to expand. ASML is already working on incorporating FlexCache in Azure NetApp Files to enable seamless data sharing between engineering teams in North America and Europe. This will strengthen collaboration not only internally but also with external partners, such as IMEC, one of the top research institutions in the semiconductor field.

ASML also plans to continue its role as an early adopter of new Azure NetApp Files capabilities, including AI-powered ransomware protection and larger-scale out volumes. As new service levels are rolled out, allowing for finer control over performance versus price, ASML will optimize R&D costs while scaling flexibly into the exabyte era.