ASML Twinscan EXE:5000 Lego Set | Hacker News Reader

ASML Twinscan EXE:5000 Lego Set

asmlstore.com

87 pointsksec30 comments

Fly-through promotional render of the real thing: https://youtu.be/h_zgURwr6nA

Incredible technology - the light-source works by generating droplets of molten tin, firing them through a chamber at around (IIRC) 200mph, and hitting each droplet with two laser pulses... at 50kHz.

How they achieve that using Lego is beyond me.

> How they achieve that using Lego is beyond me.

I'm so confused by this sentence. What does the real thing have to do with Lego?

I imagine it was a good joke. At least I laughed.

Sorry yes that last part was a joke :-)

It is crazy that it had to be explained and you feel the need to apologize for it.

Thank you - that's humour though isn't it? I think the best jokes start with a moment of confusion which is resolved by sudden understanding, but sometimes that understanding never arrives and then the joke doesn't land - that's partly due to the listener and partly due to the person telling the joke.

> How they achieve that using Lego is beyond me.

They used a 3nm process node[1] to squeeze this machine into Lego-sized blocks.

—-

1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_nm_process

Context - it’s a Lego model of a machine used to produce computer chips:

> The TWINSCAN EXE:5000 is the first 0.55 NA, or ‘High NA’, EUV lithography system. Its 8 nm resolution will enable chipmakers to print with a single exposure features 1.7 times smaller – and therefore achieve transistor densities 2.9 times higher – than those possible using TWINSCAN NXE systems.

https://www.asml.com/en/products/euv-lithography-systems/twi...

Not available in China

Ha ha, too funny.

Export prohibited under the Wassenaar arrangement but ... where are all the pieces made?

Lego currently has factories in North America, Europe and Asia[1]. Their PDF says the China factory supplies China and the rest of Asia; but I think supply isn't as regimented as suggested, I recall seeing more than just Henco in Mexico on my recently purchased sets in the US (I think I've gotten things made in Hungary and Czech Republic).

[1] https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/aboutus/assets/blt79cd916d0945ea...

Vastly underrated. Props.

...and can cause cancer in California

The only TWINSCAN EXE:5000 many can afford

https://bricksworld.eu/gb/46-asml-building-sets

There seems to be a model of the ASML TWINSCAN NXE3400C which shows the inner workings, but doesn't show on the ASML site. Would be neat if someone could track down the build instructions.

https://asmlstore.com/collections/ready-to-ship/products/twi...

There is another set available on their site.

USD227

Not happy, yet had to buy it. so cool.

Well you can produce’s chips with a 2.9 times higher transistor density. So it’s a steal!

This was the first post I saw about this set. Over the course of the weekend, I have been seeing articles all over the internet about it. And now the site admins had to just completely take down the page for all the LEGO sets in the store. They are probably now rethinking having the employee store open to the public.

This is amazing! Does anyone know if it uses any custom pieces, or are all of the pieces standard Lego pieces?

It says "Original Lego parts" on the page.

Apparently, it was created by Rick Lenssen [1], who works at the Development & Engineering department of ASML. It seems more likely that he used existing bricks, instead of molding new ones.

[1] https://ricklenssen.com/

With that surname working for ASML must be a dream job ;-)

Nominative determinism strikes again.

230 dollars seems expensive for something with 850 ish parts?

Retail US$ prices for Lego-branded kits are usually about $0.10 per piece. So I would expect this kit would cost about $85 if Lego were selling it, implying a +170% premium.

Wow, the store has Christmas ornaments, a Rubik's cube, another lego set and lots of swag. Not what I expected ...

Never underestimate the value of being the sales exec to hand out free merch with every multimillion-dollar purchase.

This is intended to be the employee store. it isn't strictly on the internal domain for convenience, but it definitely isn't targeted to non-employees.

I like how it has a suitably ASML price as well.

This is peak “2000”

Reply on news.ycombinator.com