China has made a major breakthrough in chip manufacturing technology

China has made a major breakthrough in chip manufacturing technology, particularly in lithography — the process used to print intricate circuit patterns on silicon wafers. A research team from Peking University has, for the first time, visualized the 3D molecular movement of photoresist materials in a liquid environment using cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET). Photoresist acts as a light-sensitive layer that transfers circuit designs during chip production. Understanding its molecular structure and behavior is critical for precision, especially in chips below the 7 nm scale.