Purdue and ASML partner to advance semiconductor R&D, grow industry workforce

Dr. Anthony Yen, left, vice president and head of the Technology Development Center at ASML, and Mark Lundstrom, Purdue University’s chief semiconductor officer, sign a research and development partnership in late 2024 in Washington, D.C., during a meeting of the university’s Semiconductor Degrees Leadership Board, of which ASML is a member

Purdue University and ASML, a leading supplier to the semiconductor industry, have expanded their longstanding partnership by signing a research and development partnership intended to advance semiconductor innovation.

ASML and Purdue are also collaborating on various efforts to address a nationwide talent shortage, including a first-of-its-kind semiconductor course on lithography – a key process step in microchip production that ASML systems enable in fabs around the globe. Under the new research agreement, four projects have already launched, engaging engineers from all major ASML U.S. R&D sites; ASML has more than 8,400 employees across the U.S. and R&D sites in San Diego and San Jose, California, and in Wilton, Connecticut.

“The signing of the master agreement on research with Purdue University is an important milestone in the expansion of the company’s strategic relationship with Purdue,” said Dr. Anthony Yen, vice president and head of the Technology Development Center at ASML. “ASML recognizes Purdue as one of the top engineering schools in the United States, and our master agreement is an overarching agreement under which collaborative projects will reside.”

More research projects are anticipated to launch soon.

The company and university signed the agreement in late 2024 in Washington, D.C., during a meeting of the university’s Semiconductor Degrees Leadership Board, of which ASML is a member. The collaboration is part of the ASML’s focus on establishing and expanding relationships with top research institutions in the U.S.

“ASML manufactures what has been called the ‘most complex machines in the world,’ sophisticated tools that produce ultra-fine patterns on semiconductor chips. All leading-edge semiconductor companies have these machines in their fabs. This master agreement represents the next step in our partnership,” said Mark Lundstrom, Purdue’s chief semiconductor officer. “Building on our strong partnership for workforce development, this agreement focusses on research – to explore with ASML new technologies for their next-generation manufacturing tools.”

The R&D agreement is in tandem with workforce development initiatives already taking place within Purdue’s College of Engineering, including semiconductor courses “Introduction to Nanolithography,” which provides a comprehensive introduction to lithography technology; “EUV Lithography,” which covers lithography technology used in fabricating the most advanced semiconductor devices; and “Computational Lithography,” which teaches modeling and optimization of imaging on silicon wafers for a variety of design patterns.

“Even before the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 was passed, Purdue University recognized the need for more robust semiconductor education, research and industry partnerships,” Yen said. “ASML has gladly partnered with Purdue on all fronts as an inaugural member of the university’s Semiconductor Degree program (SDP), the teaching of several lithography courses developed by ASML, and an annual ASML Day at the university, which features information sessions tailored to students interested in joining the semiconductor industry.”

ASML is also a strong supporter of Purdue’s Summer Training, Awareness, and Readiness for Semiconductors (STARS) program. Several Purdue students have joined cohorts of interns at ASML.

Purdue’s growing semiconductor innovation ecosystem is one of the key pillars of Purdue Computes, a comprehensive initiative across computing departments, physical AI, semiconductors, and quantum science and engineering to enable unparalleled excellence at scale.