Abstract :
Silicon has been the heart of the
world's technology boom for nearly half a century, but microprocessor
manufacturers have all but squeezed the life out of it. The current technology
used to make microprocessors will begin to reach its limit around 2005. At that
time, chipmakers will have to look to other technologies to cram more
transistors onto silicon to create more powerful chips. Many are already looking at extreme-ultraviolet
lithography (EUVL) as a way to extend the life of silicon at least until the end of
the decade.
Potential successors to optical
projection lithography are being aggressively developed. These are known as
"Next-Generation Lithographies" (NGL's). EUV lithography (EUVL) is one of the
leading NGL technologies; others include x-ray lithography, ion-beam projection
lithography, and electron-beam projection lithography. Using extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light to carve
transistors in silicon wafers will lead to microprocessors that are up to 100 times faster than today's
most powerful chips, and to memory chips with similar increases in storage
capacity.
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