Dutch specialty foundry Xiver is adding an ASML PAS 5500 deep-ultraviolet lithography system to expand its photonics and microsystems manufacturing capability. Xiver announced the acquisition on October 13, 2026, saying the tool will improve fine patterning, dimensional control, alignment and pattern fidelity for specialty devices.
The PAS 5500 is a mature lithography platform, but mature does not mean irrelevant. Specialty photonics, MEMS and other high-mix manufacturing often need precise, repeatable patterning without the economics of leading-edge EUV. BitcoinVersus.Tech’s photolithography equipment primer explains where steppers and scanners fit inside the wafer process.
Xiver says the PAS 5500 will complement its existing i-line tools and enable double-sided wafer patterning and sub-micron 3D micromachining. Optics.org reports that a €28 million debt facility from ABN Amro is supporting the company’s manufacturing expansion, including the DUV acquisition.
ASML’s archival video explains the engineering behind the PAS 5500, a lithography family first introduced in the 1990s.
The purchase also shows why older DUV equipment continues to matter. The supporting ecosystem still includes excimer-laser infrastructure such as neon-dependent DUV light sources, while advanced fabs are simultaneously pushing larger photomasks for High-NA EUV. Different manufacturing problems need different tools.
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