The research institute Imec has just taken a major step forward in the semiconductor industry with a new machine capable of engraving chips at dimensions below one nanometer.
© Imec
In Leuven, the Imec research center has reached a significant milestone by installing the first module of a new generation of high numerical aperture EUV lithography machines, developed by the Dutch company ASML and considered the most advanced in the world.
This state-of-the-art equipment will make it possible to produce chips smaller than one nanometer, ushering in the “ångström era,” an even finer scale of measurement. The smaller the circuits, the greater the computing power of the chips—an essential factor, particularly for the development of artificial intelligence.
The result of close cooperation between Imec and ASML, the machine relies on extreme ultraviolet light technology to manufacture ultra-high-performance semiconductors. It can process hundreds of silicon wafers per hour, each containing multiple layers engraved with extreme precision.
Costing more than €400 million, the machine will be installed in a new cleanroom within a research complex valued at €2.5 billion, supported by the European Union and the Flemish government. The goal is to strengthen research capacity and help partially relocate the semiconductor production chain to Europe, which is currently largely concentrated in Asia.
A remarkable technological breakthrough on Belgian soil!
