SAN DIEGO, March 19 -- Cymer Inc. said that a major US chipmaker has provided funding aimed at speeding Cymer's extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source research and development efforts. The first significant external subsidy of Cymer's patented dense plasma focus (DPF) EUV source technology, the chipmaker's funding offers compelling, tangible evidence of its confidence in DPF as a viable path for powering lithography tools in the post-optical era. "This generous funding provides Cymer with a welcome opportunity to accelerate and intensify our EUV R&D efforts and position our proprietary DPF source technology already considered by many to be the front-runner in EUV solutions, as the technology of choice for future production applications," said Pascal Didier, Cymer's president and chief operating officer.