Japanese companies develop technology to produce 1.4-nanometer semiconductors with one-tenth of the power consumption

Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) has developed technology to produce advanced semiconductors using just one-tenth the electricity consumption. It has created a new manufacturing approach for devices for Canon, with mass production targeted for 2027, enabling the core components needed for next-generation 1.4-nanometer (1 nanometer is one billionth of a meter) products. There is a strong possibility that the manufacturing cost of artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors could be significantly reduced.

At present, to mass-produce the most advanced semiconductors, it is necessary to use extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, which are produced only by ASML Holdings in the world. The “lithography process,” which draws circuits on a wafer (substrate), accounts for 30 to 50 percent of the total semiconductor manufacturing cost. The finer the circuitry is, the more lithography steps are required, and electricity consumption increases accordingly. An EUV lithography machine costs about 30 billion yen, placing a heavy investment burden on semiconductor manufacturers.

Meanwhile, Canon’s “Nanoimprint” manufacturing equipment creates circuits on a wafer using a method similar to stamping a seal. DNP has developed “templates” for circuit originals equivalent to finely detailed seals, which can be used for processes as fine as 1.4 nanometers at most. Previously, this technology could not support the manufacturing of advanced semiconductors such as 2 nanometers.

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