- Desktop EUV tools and multi-beam lithography target photo mask production bottlenecks
- “Hand-and-eye” system seen boosting yield and domestic semiconductor capabilities
Researchers at Zhejiang University have unveiled three cutting-edge optical technologies, including a desktop extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source and a high-throughput laser lithography system, in a push to strengthen China’s capabilities in advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
The innovations, announced on April 10 by the university’s State Key Laboratory of Extreme Optical Technologies and Instruments, aim to address critical gaps in EUV optics, precision fabrication and defect inspection—areas central to chip production but long dominated by overseas suppliers.
At the core of the announcement is a multi-channel 3D nano laser direct-write lithography system designed for manufacturing high-end photomasks—the templates used to imprint circuit patterns onto chips.
Unlike conventional systems that rely on a single laser beam, the new platform deploys tens of thousands of beams simultaneously, boosting processing speeds to 42.7 square millimeters per minute—dozens of times faster than existing two-photon lithography techniques, Chinese media reported.
Complementing the fabrication system are two EUV-based tools: a desktop high-brightness EUV light source and a desktop EUV microscope.
The compact light source delivers stable, high-energy EUV radiation from a system small enough to fit on a lab bench, replacing facilities that previously required stadium-scale infrastructure.
The EUV microscope, meanwhile, uses computational imaging to achieve resolution below 25 nanometers, enabling direct inspection of chip structures and materials at the nanoscale.
‘Hand and eye’
Laboratory director Liu Xu described the three technologies as forming a “hand-and-eye” solution—combining manufacturing capability with high-precision inspection—to improve photomask quality and ultimately enhance chip production yields.
Industry analysts said the integrated approach could accelerate China’s push toward greater self-reliance in advanced semiconductor processes by improving both throughput and defect detection in critical lithography steps.
The research team said it will continue refining the technologies and work toward commercialization, as demand grows for domestically developed solutions in high-end chipmaking equipment.
