Fundamental physics collaboration A leading academic team from Heriot-Watt University is partnering with ASML, a major supplier to the semiconductor industry, in a move designed to drive advances in new light source technologies. In a five-year collaboration partly funded by ASML, Professor John Traversâ research into fundamental physics will be accelerated, creating a direct route from lab to market for new laser technologies. The partnership highlights Heriot-Watt Universityâs ongoing success in attracting industry collaborations and overseas investment into its leading-edge academic research. ASML is among the worldâs leading manufacturers of semiconductor lithography machines. Based in the Netherlands, it uses light to print tiny patterns onto silicon, resulting in the mass production of semiconductor chips. Precision is key to the printing technique. Optical metrology also uses light to establish the exact measurements required. Developments in this field allow top chipmakers to create better performing, cheaper chips.