{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"632nm","title":"Maintaining Moore's Law: Lithography, Semiconductors, and Chip Fabrication with Mordechai Rothschild","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":7672,"description":"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.\nDr. 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.\n01:22 Early Days and Technological Challenges\n08:54 The Role of Photoresist in Lithography\n19:39 The Rise of X-ray Lithography\n25:52 Global Competition and Geopolitics\n28:45 Challenges and Future of Lithography\n44:33 Introduction to Excimer Lasers\n47:54 Applications of 193nm Lasers\n49:41 Development of Reliable Laser Sources\n58:38 Lens Aging and Material Challenges\n01:01:10 Exploring Alternative Materials\n01:07:41 Liquid Immersion Lithography\n01:15:21 Engineering Complex Lithography Systems\n01:23:43 Immersion Lithography Insights\n01:24:33 Prototype to Foundry Adoption Timeline\n01:25:41 Challenges in EUV Development\n01:32:24 Personal Journey to Lincoln Lab\n01:38:59 Exploring Advanced Lithography\n01:57:26 Future of...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/GydlQqnUybBqv7mvA947eCIsz_CyOG8rEnboLv3Hs_I/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8yOGMz/YTliMThlODIyYzYw/OGVjOWNiZWNlNmQ1/ZmQ0Ni5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}