• Maple Engineer@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    I wonder if it’s the US or Taiwan that donates the thermite grenades on the machines? If it’s the US Trump might just order them not to donate them as a gift to Xi.

    • Revan343@lemmy.ca
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      3 days ago

      From what I’ve read, TSMC themselves take a hardline anti-China stance. If Chinese jackboots set foot in Taiwan, they’ll brick all of their foundries, or at least they say they will. Whether they actually will when push comes to shove is the bigger question

      • Maple Engineer@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        I don’t think it’s an issue of bricking them. I think they thermite grenade them. It’s the optical technology that sets the ASML machines apart. They have to destroy the machines.

          • Maple Engineer@lemmy.world
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            3 days ago

            Uh, no it isn’t. Bricking would be to render them inoperable. The machines need to be completely destroyed to keep the physical components of the optical path out of the hands of the Chinese. Thermite grenades on the optics and C4 to make sure

            • Revan343@lemmy.ca
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              3 days ago

              I’m pretty sure thermite will render them inoperable; it tends to render most things inoperable

                • Revan343@lemmy.ca
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                  3 days ago

                  No, that’s potassium/kalium. If you want to brick them with with K, you probably want to start with potassium nitrate

                  • Maple Engineer@lemmy.world
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                    2 days ago

                    No. that was, “This conversation is too stupid to continue.” I’ve worked in more than one orange sledghammer and thermite grenade facility and studied chemistry in university.

                    Once again, “K”.