Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV)

EUV lithography is the most advanced chip-manufacturing process in use today. It works with extremely short-wavelength light — around 13.5 nanometers — to expose the smallest structures on a silicon wafer.

Why such a short wavelength?

The shorter the wavelength of the light used, the finer the structures that can be patterned onto the wafer. Compared with older deep-ultraviolet (DUV) lithography, EUV therefore enables significantly smaller, more densely packed transistors.

Why it matters for the semiconductor industry

Smaller, denser structures mean chips that are both more powerful and more energy-efficient. EUV is considered a key technology for continuing to shrink processors and memory chips.

The engineering challenge

Generating and precisely controlling EUV light requires highly complex equipment — this is exactly the area, producing EUV-relevant assemblies, where I work at TRUMPF.

More on the topic: EUV laser systems at TRUMPF.