Atom-thin material could help solve chip manufacturing problem

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Making computer chips smaller is not just about better design. It also depends on a critical step in manufacturing called patterning, where nanoscale structures are carved into materials to form the circuits inside everything from smartphones to advanced sensors. To create these patterns, engineers use a hard mask, a thin, durable material layer that protects selected regions while the exposed areas are etched away. “As chips get smaller, the manufacturing process becomes.