IBM has recently announced a new method: immersing wafers in refined water and combining it with laser light to create microchips that are only one-third the size of the current mass-produced 90 nm technology.
Tech experts believe that the photolithography method and laser exposure on silicon wafers can converge light to produce processing devices at a minimum level of 32 nm. However, IBM has implemented a “immersive printing” technique to create microchips with widths of less than 30 nm.
Over the past decades, the semiconductor industry has continuously shrunk microchips to fit more components onto a single chip, significantly improving the performance of microprocessors. However, as these components reach molecular and atomic sizes, the future of the “doubling trend” (also known as Moore’s Law) is approaching its limits, prompting the industry to seek new production methods.
“Our goal is to maximize photolithography technology to delay the transition to more expensive options,” affirmed Dr. Robert D. Allen at IBM’s research center. “The 29.9 nm level is a clear indication that we will have at least 7 more years to make the necessary changes and wait for other technologies to mature.”
Intel, the world’s leading processor manufacturer, has been producing chips using 65 nm technology since last year and is focusing on 45 nm technology. “The company is also experimenting with ‘immersive’ technology but believes this is not the right time to implement it as we need to address some issues regarding density and wafer production control,” said Mark Bohr, Intel’s Director of Processing Architecture.
