I simply don’t believe this is true enough to matter. If it was a simple case of paying ASML X billions for their equipment, then we’d see more TSMC competitors.

It is entirely plausible TSMC co-developed some of ASML’s IP and has exclusivity - or that the tech to make a working process out of ASML machines is intrinsically hard.

84% of ASMLs entire business is TSMC, Samsung and Intel. It does seem like it's ASML or bust.

They're the only ones that make EUV lithography equipment. Competitors (Canon, Nikon) tapped out at DUV.

The ASML EUV machines are extremely complicated and rate limited by the polishing of the Zeiss mirrors which require 9 months to manufacture. Zeiss is in the process of scaling up, but in the meantime the EUV machines are very much backordered and that supply limitation is partially responsible for the slowdown in the release of updated nodes. There is an update of the ASML machines which are far more complicated that cost twice as much and should be part of a fab line in production in 2025.

To continue the tree of suppliers. Zeiss SMT would be nothing without:

HAP GmbH Dresden, MBFZ Toolcraft GmbH, Corning Advanced Optics, AGC Inc, RUAG Space, Schmolz + Bickenbach, RORZE CORPORATION and GEWO Feinmechanik GmbH

It sounds fun looking at how deep the rabbit hole goes.

I was only able to find that out because Zeiss SMT has an annual "supplier of the year" award.

And those depend on dozens of more companies, and those on dozen more. That is until suddenly a one man specialist retires his company and the entire chains grinds to a halt for months.

“What do you mean that Mathias is on holiday?”