New 1.4nm nanoimprint lithography template could reduce the need for EUV steps in advanced process nodes — questions linger as no foundry has yet committed to nanoimprint lithography for high-volume manufacturing

Japan's Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) has developed a nanoimprint lithography template with a 1.4nm feature size, aiming for mass production by 2027. Canon is already shipping its first 300mm tools for nanoimprint lithography, positioning it as a low-power alternative to EUV for advanced nodes. While TSMC and Samsung are gearing up for 1.4nm mass production, the industry remains cautious about adopting nanoimprint lithography due to concerns about defectivity, overlay, and throughput for high-volume logic manufacturing. Despite potential energy savings and cost benefits, challenges like manufacturing scale, alignment precision, and throughput constraints need to be addressed before widespread adoption.