Zelenograd Nanotechnology Center (ZNTC) has launched comprehensive testing of two prototype electron-beam lithography systems with a design rule of 150 nm. Equipment tests will last approximately four months.
The system allows direct patterning of microcircuits on silicon wafers, as well as the production of photomasks without the use of masks. This approach is in demand for prototype development, R&D, and the production of small batches of specialized microcircuits.
Meanwhile, leading global chipmakers (Intel, TSMC) are already mass-producing processors using 1.8–2 nm technology, employing serial scanners from the Dutch company ASML.
Overall, the domestic 150-nanometer lithographer is exactly 75 times inferior to advanced commercial standards in terms of linear element size, and 5625 times in terms of element area (transistor density). The Russian system corresponds to the industry level of the early 2000s – the era of Pentium 4 processors.
First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov stated that Russia returned to the elite of world microelectronics after 45 years. According to him, a 130 nm lithographer will be mastered by the end of 2026.