News

IBM Comes up with the Smallest Chip Ever

February 22, 2006

IBM recently announced in a technology conference that it has successfully produced the smallest, well-defined and uniform chip circuit design by using deep-ultraviolet optical lithography.

IBM came out with a well-prepared technical detail of the smallest chip in the SPIE Microlithography 2006 conference in San Jose, Calif. The technical experts of IBM said that JSR Micro. Inc perfected a new lithography test apparatus, which could produce ridge patterns that are only 29.9 nanometers wide. This discovery is a surprise to the industry, as the most prominent technical brains firmly believe that well-defined uniform ridge below 32 nanometers is next to impossible. After all the circuits that are in mass production now are 90 nanometers wide.

Mark Slezak, technical manager of JSR Micro said that the new technology has come at the right time when the whole industry is facing the crunch of a suitable technology that can succeed below 32 nanometers. It will also strongly favor the progression of optical immersion lithography in the industry.

Robert D. Allen, manager of IBM's lithography materials said in the conference that the new technology would give the industry at least seven years of breathing space before any fundamental innovations are required for chip making techniques.

Source: TechWeb News