Canon has sent one of its nano-imprinted lithography (NIL) machines for testing at the Texas Institute for Electronics (TIE). The institution will study the Japanese company’s technology and compare its viability with the currently most used processes, ASML’s famous DUV and EUV.
What is striking about this submission is that TIE receives support and investment from a consortium of semiconductor companies. This includes well-known giants in the tech world such as Samsung and Intel. Not only that, but the US military technologies agency, DARPA, also invests in the institute.
Therefore, if NIL lithography makes a good impression in TIE studies, this is a great chance for Canon to establish credibility for its technology.
Nano-imprinted lithography is a very different process from EUV and DUV technologies, which use light to work, so they are also known as photolithography. In these cases, a laser projects circuit patterns from a “mask” on a wafer of chips. In turn, Canon’s NIL lithography carries out the process mechanically, as if it were a “stamp” directly on the chips.
The process is currently capable of manufacturing chips at 5nm, and Canon says it will soon reach 2nm as well.
NIL’s main advantage over ASML technologies is that Canon’s solution is cheaper. The EUV and DUV processes are faster, however. But the real challenge for the Japanese company is being able to propose a new solution when so much of the industry’s infrastructure already depends on ASML.
Unfortunately for Canon, companies cannot easily implement NIL machines on their assembly lines and would need large investments to adapt to the new lithography technique.
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On the other hand, it is likely that many companies are interested in no longer depending on a single company – especially in China, where ASML has received restrictions on providing its services.
Canon appears hopeful about its nano-printed lithography, with plans to reach annual sales of 10 to 20 units of its machines over the next five years.
Source: Tom’s Hardware
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Source: https://www.adrenaline.com.br/hardware/canon-envia-maquina-de-litografia-nano-impressa-para-testes-no-texas/
