ASML received significant investment from its major clients in 2012, to accelerate the development of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology. At the time, Intel took a 15 percent stake, while Samsung and TSMC took up a 10 percent stake. EUV is the next big step in chip production. Its development took a lot longer than expected as there were a lot more challenges than anticipated. But there is no alternative as traditional immersion lithography is hitting the limits of what's physically possible.
As EUV gets closer to commercial production, the companies are winding down their stake in ASML. All three firms already shrunk their ASML holding and now there's news that Intel sold another big block.
Intel already cut about a third of its stake in May and now the chip giant disclosed to the Dutch financial regulator that it reduced its holding to 4.96 percent.