Maintaining Moore's Law: Lithography, Semiconductors, and Chip Fabrication with Mordechai Rothschild
632nm14 Apr 2025

Maintaining Moore's Law: Lithography, Semiconductors, and Chip Fabrication with Mordechai Rothschild

In this episode of the 632nm podcast, we explore how 193nm lasers unexpectedly overtook x-ray approaches and reshaped semiconductor manufacturing. Physicist Mordechai Rothschild describes the breakthroughs that turned a once “impossible” technology into the mainstay of chip fabrication, including the discovery of specialized lenses, the invention of chemically amplified resists, and the game-changing flip to immersion lithography. We also hear candid insights on the race to push below 13.5 nanometers, where new ideas in plasma sources and advanced coatings might one day carry Moore’s Law even further.

Dr. Mordechai Rothschild is a leading physicist and technologist at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, serving as Principal Staff in the Advanced Technology Division. He has been instrumental in advancing micro- and nanoscale systems, with significant contributions to 193-nm photolithography—a technology critical to modern semiconductor manufacturing. His work has earned him the 2014 SPIE Frits Zernike Award and the 2015 Edwin H. Land Medal. With over 220 publications and 16 patents, Rothschild's research spans metamaterials, microfluidics, and nanofabrication. He holds a BS in physics from Bar-Ilan University and a PhD in optics from the University of Rochester.

01:22 Early Days and Technological Challenges
08:54 The Role of Photoresist in Lithography
19:39 The Rise of X-ray Lithography
25:52 Global Competition and Geopolitics
28:45 Challenges and Future of Lithography
44:33 Introduction to Excimer Lasers
47:54 Applications of 193nm Lasers
49:41 Development of Reliable Laser Sources
58:38 Lens Aging and Material Challenges
01:01:10 Exploring Alternative Materials
01:07:41 Liquid Immersion Lithography
01:15:21 Engineering Complex Lithography Systems
01:23:43 Immersion Lithography Insights
01:24:33 Prototype to Foundry Adoption Timeline
01:25:41 Challenges in EUV Development
01:32:24 Personal Journey to Lincoln Lab
01:38:59 Exploring Advanced Lithography
01:57:26 Future of Moore's Law and Lithography
02:06:40 Advice for Young Scientists

Subscribe:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

RSS

Follow us:

Twitter: https://x.com/632nmPodcast

Substack: https://632nmpodcast.substack.com/

Michael Dubrovsky: https://x.com/MikeDubrovsky

Misha Shalaginov: https://x.com/MYShalaginov

Xinghui Yin: https://x.com/XinghuiYin

Episoder(50)

How Quantum Sensors Can Measure Single Electrons | Amir Yacoby

How Quantum Sensors Can Measure Single Electrons | Amir Yacoby

How do you measure something as small as a single electron or map quantum behavior at the nanoscale?In this episode, Misha spoke with Amir Yacoby, professor at Harvard University, about the cutting ed...

5 Mai 2h 1min

The Physics of Un-Hackable Face Recognition | Rob Devlin on Metalenz

The Physics of Un-Hackable Face Recognition | Rob Devlin on Metalenz

How do you turn a flat piece of nanostructured material into a secure biometric sensor?In this episode, we speak with Rob Devlin, co-founder and CEO of Metalenz, about how metasurfaces are transformin...

21 Apr 1h 13min

The Real Economics of Data Centers in Space | Starcloud CEO Philip Johnston

The Real Economics of Data Centers in Space | Starcloud CEO Philip Johnston

Are data centers in space physically possible, or just another overhyped idea?In this episode, we speak with Philip Johnston, CEO of Starcloud, about the technical and economic case for putting AI inf...

1 Apr 1h 37min

How To Make Quantum Algorithms Cheaper | Craig Gidney on Magic-State Factories, Resource Estimates

How To Make Quantum Algorithms Cheaper | Craig Gidney on Magic-State Factories, Resource Estimates

How do you actually make quantum algorithms work on real hardware?Build your own quantum circuits in Crumble: https://algassert.com/crumbleIn this episode, we speak with Craig Gidney of Google Quantum...

27 Mar 2h 3min

How Neurons Translate Electricity into Chemistry | Tom Südhof

How Neurons Translate Electricity into Chemistry | Tom Südhof

How do neurons convert electrical signals into chemical messages in under a millisecond?In this episode, we speak with Thomas Südhof, Stanford neuroscientist and Nobel laureate whose discoveries revea...

10 Mar 1h 30min

How Engineers Solve “Impossible” Problems | Dan Gelbart

How Engineers Solve “Impossible” Problems | Dan Gelbart

How do engineers solve problems that seem to violate the laws of physics?In this episode, we speak with Dan Gelbart, a prolific inventor and precision engineer, about what it really means to work at t...

17 Feb 2h 3min

How Visual Experience Rewires the Brain | Mark Bear on Neuroplasticity

How Visual Experience Rewires the Brain | Mark Bear on Neuroplasticity

How does experience rewire the brain—and why is vision the ideal system for understanding neuroplasticity?In this episode, we speak with Mark Bear, MIT neuroscientist and a pioneer in the study of exp...

3 Feb 1h 55min

Snell's Law, Metasurfaces, and Metalenses  | Federico Capasso

Snell's Law, Metasurfaces, and Metalenses | Federico Capasso

How can flat surfaces shape light as powerfully as bulky lenses?In this episode, we speak with Federico Capasso, Harvard physicist and pioneer of metasurfaces, metalenses, and nanophotonics. Capasso t...

20 Jan 2h 13min

Populært innen Vitenskap

fastlegen
tingenes-tilstand
jss
forskningno
sinnsyn
rekommandert
liberal-halvtime
rss-paradigmepodden
tomprat-med-gunnar-tjomlid
pod-britannia
nevropodden
nordnorsk-historie
tidlose-historier
fjellsportpodden
diagnose
villmarksliv
rss-bondevennen
rss-inn-til-kjernen-med-sunniva-rose
rss-rekommandert
rss-zahid-ali-hjelper-deg