Microelectronics
Pioneering the Future of Microelectronics
Microelectronics Science is a core priority at Berkeley Lab. The Center for X-Ray Optics (CXRO) has played a key role by advancing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography through groundbreaking innovations:
MET5
The world’s highest-resolution projection lithography instrument for research.
CHiPPS
Advanced science in patterning materials.
SHARP
The first anamorphic hyper-NA mask imaging tool.
Leveraging these world-leading capabilities, CXRO is now exploring novel microelectronic materials at unprecedented dimensions and pitches where quantum effects dominate. This research is critical to driving future chip progress and delivering the energy efficiency required to power the rapid expansion of AI.
CXRO is currently participating in two of DOE’s Microelectronics Science Research Centers (MSRCs): ELMIC and MEERCAT.
Related Capabilities
This research uses the MET (Micro-Exposure Tool) for patterning experiments, the Reflectometry beamline for thin-film studies, the RSoXS endstation for scattering, and Nanofabrication for test structure preparation.
