https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/03/12/want-even-tinier-chips-use-a-particle-accelerator The Economist The Economist Try for free --------------------------------------------------------------------- Enterprise --------------------------------------------------------------------- Log in --------------------------------------------------------------------- Menu The Economist The Economist Skip to content Try for free --------------------------------------------------------------------- Enterprise --------------------------------------------------------------------- Log in --------------------------------------------------------------------- Menu --------------------------------------------------------------------- [ ] --------------------------------------------------------------------- [20250123_drp045] The world in brief Catch up on global daily news [20250123_drp050] 1843 magazine Dive into compelling long reads [20250123_drp046] Podcasts Tune into engaging conversations [20250123_drp044] Video Watch engaging short films [20250123_drp048] Digital events Gain insights from experts [20250123_drp047] Newsletters Curated news, direct to your inbox Current topics * War in the Middle East * War in Ukraine * The World Ahead 2025 * Climate change * Geopolitics * The world economy * Artificial intelligence * Trump approval tracker Current topics * War in the Middle East * War in Ukraine * The World Ahead 2025 * Climate change * Geopolitics * The world economy * Artificial intelligence * Trump approval tracker World World * The world this week * China * United States * Europe * Britain * Middle East * Africa * Asia * The Americas * International Business & economics Business & economics * Finance & economics * Business * Big Mac index * Economic & financial indicators Opinion Opinion * Leaders * Letters to the editor * By Invitation In depth In depth * Science & technology * Briefing * Graphic detail * Interactives * The Economist explains * Special reports * Technology Quarterly * Essay * Schools brief Culture & society Culture & society * Culture * The Economist reads * Obituary Weekly edition Weekly edition * This week * Past editions Our A-to-Zs Our A-to-Zs * Economics * American politics * Military terms * International relations * Weekly edition * The world in brief * War in the Middle East * War in Ukraine * United States * The world economy * Business * Artificial intelligence * Archive 1945 * Mini crossword My Economist --------------------------------------------------------------------- Unlimited digital access to all reporting, podcasts, newsletters and events Try for free --------------------------------------------------------------------- SUBSCRIBER BENEFITS * Podcasts * Newsletters * Video * Live virtual events * The Economist app * Espresso app * Saved stories SUBSCRIBER BENEFITS * Podcasts * Newsletters * Video * Live virtual events * The Economist app * Espresso app * Saved stories --------------------------------------------------------------------- * Account * Log out * Account * Log out Science & technology | Full speed ahead Want even tinier chips? Use a particle accelerator High-speed electrons can etch nano-scale designs A chip as a lightning bolt.Illustration: Alberto Miranda Mar 12th 2025 Share Semiconductor chips are among the smallest and most detailed objects humans can manufacture. Shrinking the scale and upping the complexity is a fight against the limits of physics, and optical lithography--etching nanometre-scale patterns onto silicon with short-wavelength light--is its most extreme frontier. ASML, a Dutch firm that builds such lithography tools, takes an almost sci-fi approach by blasting molten tin droplets with lasers in a vacuum to produce extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light with a wavelength of just 13.5nm. Now, some researchers hope to generate more powerful EUV beams with a particle accelerator that propels electrons to nearly the speed of light. Explore more Science & technologyComputingTechnology This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline "Press the accelerator" --------------------------------------------------------------------- Science & technology March 15th 2025 * -The race is on to build the world's most complex machine * -Want even tinier chips? Use a particle accelerator * -Ukraine's embrace of drone warfare has paid off * -Is butter bad for you? [20250315_DE_US] From the March 15th 2025 edition Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents =Explore the edition Share Reuse this content --------------------------------------------------------------------- More from Science & technology Grey seals play underwater Why don't seals drown? They can time their dives to match their blood oxygen Illustration of a person holding their with the side effects of 5G displayed on the screen. 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