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China plans to build a giant chip factory driven by particle accelerator
- Scientists said this unprecedented technology can overstep US sanctions and make China a new leader in semiconductor chip industry
- Plans are now in progress to construct a huge particle accelerator to help researchers put into practice the cutting-edge technology
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Zhang Tongin Beijing
China is exploring new avenues to bypass restrictions on lithography machines, which are used in the production of microchips. Using particle accelerators to create a novel laser source, researchers are laying the foundation for the future of semiconductor fabrication.
Plans are now under way to construct a particle accelerator with a circumference between 100-150 metres (328-492 feet) – roughly the size of two basketball courts. The accelerator’s electron beam will transform into a high-quality light source for on-site chip manufacturing and scientific inquiry.
The team from Tsinghua University is in active discussions with authorities in Xiongan New Area to select a construction site for the cutting-edge project.
Contrary to commercial players such as Advanced Semiconductor Materials Lithography (ASML), which favours reducing the size of chip-making machines for export, the Chinese project aims to localise manufacturing by building a colossal factory housing multiple lithography machines around a single accelerator.
This innovation could foster high-volume, low-cost chip manufacturing and potentially propel China into a leadership role in the industrial production of advanced chips, known as 2nm (nanometre) chips, and beyond.
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Lithography systems are among the most sophisticated pieces of machinery ever created by humans. Currently, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) with ultra-short wavelength is widely used in the production of chips with 7nm nodes and below.
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