The frequency of light used in the photolithographic process that creates state-of-the-art chips. The wavelength of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light is lower than visible light and can produce finer patterns on the wafer.
Visible Light and Extreme Ultraviolet
There is a huge difference. Visible light is roughly 400 to 750 nm, and EUV light is 13.5 nm. The process to create EUV is quite elaborate. Microscopic droplets of molten tin are fired into a vacuum chamber. A laser reshapes the droplets and a second more powerful laser causes the tin to explode into plasma that lasts only for nanoseconds.
Electron Beam Lithography Next?
Electrons are being used to create features on a chip even smaller than EUV; however, it is a much slower operation and is generally used for creating the photomasks rather than the chips themselves. See
electron beam lithography. See
ultraviolet light,
EUV machine and
chip manufacturing.