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Worth mentioning is the insane and disruptive technology making TSMC's 5nm possible. ASML and it's suppliers have built a machine[1] that has a sci-fi feel to i

by car 6y ago

Worth mentioning is the insane and disruptive technology making TSMC's 5nm possible. ASML and it's suppliers have built a machine[1] that has a sci-fi feel to it. It took decades to get it all right, from the continous laser source to the projection optics for the extreme ultraviolet light[2]. This allowed photolithography to jump from 193nm light to 13.5nm, very close to x-rays. The CO2 laser powering the EUV light source is made by Trumpf[3]. Edit:More hands-on video from Engadget about EUV at Intels Oregon facility[4] [1]https://www.asml.com/en/products/euv-lithography-systems/twinscan-nxe3400c https://www.asml.com/en/products/euv-lithography-systems/twi... [2]https://youtu.be/f0gMdGrVteI https://youtu.be/f0gMdGrVteI [3]https://www.trumpf.com/en_US/solutions/applications/euv-lithography/ https://www.trumpf.com/en_US/solutions/applications/euv-lith... [4]https://youtu.be/oIiqVrKDtLc https://youtu.be/oIiqVrKDtLc

dmix 6y ago
Thanks for the great links / resources. Those machines look insanely complicated. I can just imagine how they get shipped to Taiwan and elsewhere (they apparently cost $120M each in 2010 [1]). A bit offtopic but I've always found it amusing that a form of lithography, of all things, is fundamentally powering our tech revolution for decades. Especially after a girl I knew learned lithography in an art class, watching her do it in a primitive form, which inspired me to read about it's history in art and professional uses (signage, etc). That combined with vacuum tubes (which also rank high up there in the revolution thing) are the two things I one day wish to learn how they really work. Not just surface level nodding along. [1] https://www.eetimes.com/euv-tool-costs-hit-120-million/ https://www.eetimes.com/euv-tool-costs-hit-120-million/
bch 6y ago
That’s amazing - now I have questions. They say “decades in the making” - when did it first become viable, and then how long to master the process and become confident enough to mass produce consumer goods from it? I’d love to see a timeline w milestones.
- car 6y ago
  Apparently first EUV prototypes were shipped to TSMC for R&D in 2010(!). ASML has a timeline of the company and technology development[1]. [1]https://www.asml.com/en/company/about-asml/history https://www.asml.com/en/company/about-asml/history

by car 6y ago

dmix 6y ago

Thanks for the great links / resources. Those machines look insanely complicated. I can just imagine how they get shipped to Taiwan and elsewhere (they apparently cost $120M each in 2010 [1]). A bit offtopic but I've always found it amusing that a form of lithography, of all things, is fundamentally powering our tech revolution for decades. Especially after a girl I knew learned lithography in an art class, watching her do it in a primitive form, which inspired me to read about it's history in art and professional uses (signage, etc). That combined with vacuum tubes (which also rank high up there in the revolution thing) are the two things I one day wish to learn how they really work. Not just surface level nodding along. [1] https://www.eetimes.com/euv-tool-costs-hit-120-million/ https://www.eetimes.com/euv-tool-costs-hit-120-million/

bch 6y ago

That’s amazing - now I have questions. They say “decades in the making” - when did it first become viable, and then how long to master the process and become confident enough to mass produce consumer goods from it? I’d love to see a timeline w milestones.

car 6y ago
Apparently first EUV prototypes were shipped to TSMC for R&D in 2010(!). ASML has a timeline of the company and technology development[1]. [1]https://www.asml.com/en/company/about-asml/history https://www.asml.com/en/company/about-asml/history