On May 14, the Financial Associated Press released the news that [Shanghai Institute of Optics and Mechanics realized structural vortex light control for the first time in EUV and soft X-ray]
This is equivalent to the most important core of the official lithography machine, the extreme ultraviolet light source has been taken, and there is no obstacle to the development of domestic lithography machines.
Let's first take a look at the original text of the news of the Financial Associated Press:
Finance Associated Press, May 14, recently, Zhang Junyong, associate researcher of the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with the research group of Professor Zhao Yongpeng of Harbin Institute of Technology and the research group of Professor Zhan Qiwen of University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, completed the structural vortex light control and experimental verification of EUV and soft X-ray for the first time, which opened up a feasible technical approach for structural lithography, structural beam control and short-wave super-resolution imaging in the extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray bands. The results were published in PhotoniX under the title "Producing focused extreme ultraviolet vortex with Fermat-spiral photon sieves".
Extreme ultraviolet light, also known as extreme ultraviolet radiation, is produced in extreme heat, and in nature it is produced by the sun's corona. But it can't reach the surface. Because it has an extremely strong ionization ability, it cannot pass through the Earth's atmosphere and can only propagate in a vacuum.
The solar constant is 1361 w/m², which means that the amount of solar energy received per square meter of the earth's surface is as high as 1361 watts, which is equivalent to 1.361 kilowatts of energy received by one square meter per hour. However, the extremely ultraviolet rays of sunlight, which are extremely energetic, cannot penetrate the atmosphere, so the amount of solar energy to the ground is discounted. That's why scientists want to build solar power plants into space.
The artificial generation method of extreme ultraviolet light is harsh.
It took more than 10 years of research in Europe and the United States to finally establish a major development direction, obtaining 13.5 nanometers of extreme ultraviolet light, so as to achieve lithography, the wavelength of this light is only 1/10,000th of the diameter of a hair, and the energy is very large.
It is extremely difficult to make a sufficiently powerful EUVIO. ASML does not do this by itself, it has thousands of suppliers.
Most of the core light sources are not ASML's own technology. In addition to the light source from the American company Cymer (a subsidiary of ASML), two German companies are needed, with TRUMPF specialty: CO2 lasers and Zeiss Germany's specialty: the production of super-smooth mirrors.
Combined with these high-tech technologies, extreme ultraviolet light can finally be obtained and photolithography can be carried out.
Objectively speaking, ASML's EUV lithography machine should be the most complex equipment ever built.
EUV lithography machines have a decisive impact on chip processes. Chip wafers smaller than 5 nanometers can only be produced with EUV lithography machines.
At present, the core technology of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines is all mastered by ASML.
Ironically, just five days ago, the United States was complacent, believing that it would continue to monopolize high-end chip manufacturing.
News on May 9, according to the latest report of the American Semiconductor Association, with the promotion of the US "Chips Act", it is expected that by 2032, the share of the United States in the global manufacturing of advanced process chips below 10nm will reach 28%, while the proportion of Chinese mainland may only be 3%. The United States is 9 times that of Chinese mainland.
The basis for this report is that China has not been able to break through the manufacture of EUV lithography machines. Who knows that the Chinese do not believe in evil, and the reversal comes so quickly.
Come on China!