Term of the Moment
Gigabit Ethernet
Definition: electron beam lithography
Using electron beams to create the patterns directly on a chip. The wavelength of an electron beam is only a few picometers compared to the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light used in state-of-the-art chip manufacturing. However, as of 2026, electron beam lithography is very slow. It is used to create photomasks and prototype chips but not general chip production. See extreme ultraviolet.
Magnified 35,000 Times
The tiny lines on this silicon wafer were created using Lucent's SCALPEL electron beam lithography. These lines are 80 nanometers wide; however, this photo was taken more than 25 years ago. Today, electron beam lithography can create features below five nanometers. (Image courtesy of Lucent Technologies.)