Improved computational power comes from shrinking transistors to squeeze more of them into a microprocessor. Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Lithography is the leading next generation technology to make those continued improvements possible. The pioneering work done with synchrotron radiation has driven this technology forward toward commercialization.
EUV lithography exposure tool using synchrotron radiation
Printed image showing 28 nm circuit lines in photoresist
Current technology will allow manufacturers to print circuits as small as 45 nm in width, or 1/2,000th the width of a human hair. EUV lithography technology will extend this down to 22 nm or less, paving the road to 20 GHz computers and beyond.
REFERENCES: J. Applied Physics, 100, 073303 (2006)
WORK SUPPORTED BY:
SEMATECH, Intel, IBM, AMD, Micron, Samsung, Qimonda