First 'production-ready' EUV scanner laser-fries its guts at TSMC. Intel seeks alternative tech

A recent test of the next-generation chip-etching technology known as extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) has come a cropper at chip-baking giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). Coincidently, Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy has confirmed to The Reg a report that his company has joined up with Dutch …

[I ain't Spartacus]

The problem occurred when some idiot offered the shark dolphin and chips, during a production run. Being always hungry, the shark nodded, thus ruining its aim, and frying the machine.

[Gene Cash]

This is why Intel makes the big bucks on chips

Because they're willing to SPEND the big bucks on R&D, unlike most American companies.

It does suck though, when your R doesn't D.

[Anonymous Coward]

It is still MANY years away

They are an order of magnitude away from a power source that would produce commercially viable quantities of wafers per hour. Yeah, if you look at the industry roadmaps they show a magic hockey-stick like growth in the power output in the next two years to get where we need to be.

Unfortunately that same hockey stick has been in such graphs dealing with EUV power sources since at least 1997.

[Schultz]

"magic hockey-stick"

The magic hockey stick like growth may not show up in the EUV laser power output -- but maybe Moore's curve will perform a little hockey-stick magic to wait for the arrival of EUV technology.

One way or another, hockey rules!

[John Savard]

Alternatives

Extreme ultraviolet poses serious challenges, but it seems to me that all the alternatives are even worse. So we might just have to endure a departure from Moores' Law. That would not be the end of the world.