Intel announced on Sept 29 that high-volume manufacturing of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines has begun at its $18.5 billion plant in Ireland, calling it a "landmark" moment as it strives to reclaim ground on rivals.

Intel, formerly the world's largest chip manufacturer, has lost its lead to Taiwan Semiconductor production Co, but claims it is on course to reclaim it with production technologies that will compete with the finest from Taiwan.

The EUV tools, which are theoretically accurate enough to target a person's thumb with a laser pointer from the moon, will play a critical role in Intel's objective of delivering five generations of technology in four years, according to the American corporation.

Ann Kelleher, Intel's general manager of technological development, told Reuters that the company was on track to make the deadline, with two manufacturing processes completed, a third "coming soon," and the other two making excellent progress.

The plant, located in the town of Leixlip outside of Dublin, is the group's first high-volume location for the Intel 4 manufacturing process, which employs EUV. The technique will create its upcoming "Meteor Lake" chip for laptops, paving the path for AI PCs.

The EUV machines, manufactured by the Dutch company ASML, are the size of a bus and cost roughly $150 million each.

There are currently seven in the plant, where a constant stream of overhead robots, each costing the same as an average BMW car, whiz along 22km of track delivering silicon wafers from tool to tool.