October 13, 2011 – Litho tool juggernaut ASML’s business is viewed as a bellwether for semiconductor demand, so its quarterly results are watched closely by everyone from toolmakers to end-market analysts. A deep dig inside the company’s 3Q11 results, and executives’ subsequent commentaries, unearths insights into 4Q11 and 2012 projections, an updated EUV timeline, and a curious disconnect about the industry’s 450mm readiness.
— The numbers: 3Q11 sales were down about 4% sequentially to