ASML to spend $300M on Taiwan R&D center, says report

Semiconductor equipment vendor ASML Holding NV is considering spending as much as $300 million to set up an R&D center for the Asia-Pacific region in Taiwan, having rejected South Korea as a location, according to a report in Taipei Times, which cited an official at Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs as its source.

"The ministry is negotiating with ASML on the possibility of opening an R&D center here," the report quoted a ministry official, as saying. The report added that the official declined to be named.

ASML already has technology centers in Europe at its headquarters and in the United States at the University of Albany. Discussions between ASML and the Taiwanese ministry started in July the official said, responding to a report that ASML plans to develop an Asian R&D center in the country.

The company's investment has not been finalized but the $300 million sum would likely include acquisition of land for the project, according to the official. The ministry hoped to close the deal by the end of October, the report added.

ASML is a close partner of Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co. Ltd (TSMC) and the presence of numerous foundries and other chip makers on Taiwan would make the island a natural location for such an investment. The company also announced high expectations for Q3 in July 2006 mainly on the basis of strong demand for immersion lithography systems.

- Peter Clarke
EE Times Europe