The next technological leap: 14 Ångström

Microelectronics is essential for Europe’s digital sovereignty. Yet the current chip shortage affects a wide range of industries—from automotive to IT. Ensuring supply requires efficient and sustainable semiconductor manufacturing solutions.

In the large-scale European research project 14AMI – 14 Ångström Module Integration, leading industrial and research partners are developing an entirely new generation of fabrication processes for the 14-ångström technology node. This approach enables the production of transistors with structure sizes as small as 14 ångström (1.4 nanometers) – a key step toward more powerful and energy-efficient chips.

A nozzle under extreme conditions

At the heart of this miniaturization lies extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV). This technology uses extremely short-wavelength light to pattern ultra-fine features on silicon wafers—enabling the high integration densities required for the ångström scale.

The EUV radiation is generated from liquid tin droplets, which are transformed into plasma by high-powered laser pulses. These droplets are produced by so-called tin droplet generators, which rely on high-precision glass nozzles at their core. In next-generation EUV systems, radiation power must be significantly increased. To achieve this, tin droplets must be accelerated and focused with greater pressure and speed.

As part of the project, Fraunhofer IPT is developing a novel nozzle made from capillary glass tubing. This nozzle must withstand extreme operating conditions—pressures up to 700 bar and temperatures up to 260 °C. Manufacturing this component poses significant challenges: tolerances are in the sub-micrometer range, and even minimal deviations can compromise functionality.

To meet these demands, the team is advancing three innovative manufacturing processes for this ultra-precise component: Precision glass molding, Glass-to-metal bonding, and Ultra-precision grinding.

From Material to Industrial Prototype

The subproject spans the entire process chain—from material development to fabrication and real-world performance testing. The goal is to deliver a fully functional prototype of the glass nozzle, proven under extreme conditions and ready for industrial scaling.

The resulting innovations will contribute to the production of high-performance, energy-efficient microchips—a critical step toward technological sovereignty and climate neutrality. In addition, the technologies developed offer new opportunities for other high-tech applications, such as ultra-dense glass-to-metal seals.

Project Partners

Germany

• Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH, Oberkochen (Project Coordination)
• Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP, Dresden
• Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM, Freiburg
• Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB, Erlangen
• Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, Aachen
• RWTH Aachen University
• University of Wuppertal
• Nova Measuring GmbH, Pliezhausen
• ICT Integrated Circuit Testing GmbH, Kirchheim

European and International Partners

• Belgium: imec, JSR Micro NV
• France: Pfeiffer Vacuum, Recif Technologies SAS
• Israel: Applied Materials Israel LTD, Bruker Technologies LTD, Nova LTD, KLA-Tencor
• Netherlands: ASML Netherlands B.V., Reden B.V., FEI Electron Optics B.V., University of Twente, VDL Enabling Technologies Group B.V., Demcon Advanced Mechatronics Enschede B.V., Flexible Optical B.V., Delft University of Technology, Fastmicro B.V., TNO – Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, Nearfield Instruments B.V., Eindhoven University of Technology
• Austria: EV Group E. Thallner GmbH, Plansee SE
• Romania: University Politehnica of Bucharest
• Switzerland: CSEM – Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology, Imina Technologies SA

Funding

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101111948.

National Project Code: 16MEE0367