Taiwan's TSMC is grafted to a working group, IMS Nanofabrication AG, are already Intel, Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) and Photronics. The purpose of this entity working on the development of tools that will allow the production of masks that will eventually be used in manufacturing processes in 10 nm or less.
While Intel's latest 22 nm are etched, manufacturers are already working on a way to continue the miniaturization. To achieve this, the engineers Ims Nanofabrication AG are facing a major challenge: the design of a technology leading to the design of a mask for a fine engraving deeper. What is a mask? To find out, please read our article on making a processor.
For the manufacture of this item, engineers want to design a Tool using lithography multiple electron beams. Particularly promising technique that does not suffer from the same limitations as photolithography (which uses photons), particularly at the phenomenon of diffraction. These tests are in their infancy and after IMS, their prototype is currently capable of delivering 264,144 programmable rays whose size varies between 10 and 20 nm. Of alpha, beta and this technology should come quickly, but as one of the leaders of Tsmc, it will take probably 2015 before reaching create the mask you want.
