Intel 14A

Current obstacles

Physics limits

• High-NA prints half a field per shotHigh-NA optics expose only 26 × 16.5 mm per shot, half the usual area. Large chips must be stitched from two exposures or designed smaller, and every stitch costs area and yield.
• Randomness sets a floor on uniformityAt this scale features are a few dozen atoms wide. Random variation in photon counts, resist molecules and atom positions means no two transistors are quite alike, whatever the tool.
• Contacts dominate resistanceAs contacts and vias shrink toward 10 nm, their resistance climbs steeply. More of the energy is lost pushing current through wiring than switching the transistors themselves.