Silicon Valley, California

It’s no longer enough to optimize the various semiconductor manufacturing steps – IC design, mask creation, lithography, etch and deposition, and metrology – in isolation. In order to achieve optimum yield at smaller nodes, it requires a holistic approach. At ASML Silicon Valley, we integrate knowledge of the lithography systems with metrology and computational lithography to drive forward cost-effective shrink for chipmakers. 

Software and metrology solutions developed at ASML Silicon Valley help enhance the manufacturability of designs through co-optimization of chip designs and scanner settings. Our colleagues in San Jose also develop solutions that optimize the performance of lithography systems, maximizing production yield and stabilizing systems in high-volume manufacturing.

The complexity of the physics and sheer scale of the optimization problems faced at ASML Silicon Valley present challenges of their own. Today’s chips have billions of transistors, built up layer by layer with extreme precision, requiring the imaging of tens of billions of patterns that must be simulated and optimized within 24 hours – it’s an enormous, time-sensitive task. At ASML Silicon Valley, we develop innovative ways to speed up the model calculations. We harness the power of tens of thousands of computing cores to quickly process full chip blueprints – all without sacrificing accuracy. This is an iterative, computationally intensive process that requires the efficient and accurate utilization of a large-scale, distributed high-performance computing architecture.

The Bay Area offers a rich and varied landscape and culture: explore its dramatic coastlines and Redwood forests or visit historic places such as San Francisco, Napa Valley and Sonoma wine country. Combined with its ‘eternal summers’ and mild weather, residents and visitors enjoy a wide range of activities including surfing, hiking, visiting museums and aquariums, and sampling diverse cuisine.

Public transportation such as Caltrain and the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) offer easy access in and around the Bay Area, connecting both urban and suburban areas such as Berkeley, Oakland and Walnut Creek. For those willing to hop in a car for a longer drive, there are opportunities to explore Yosemite National Park, Half Moon Bay and Monterey Bay.