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How are Microchips Made? 🖥️🛠️ CPU Manufacturing Process Steps

Branch Education2 HN recommenders · 2024–2025
11.9M views · explainer · evergreen · Uploaded 2024-05-17

Branch Education walks through a semiconductor fab and the dozens of steps used to turn silicon wafers into microchips, with 3D animation. It covers lithography, deposition and etching at a high level.

Pointed to as a clear visual reference for chip manufacturing steps.

Semiconductors & chip manufacturingComputer architecture & CPUs

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4 comments from Hacker News

@epoxia2024 · in “Japan on edge of EUV lithography chip-making revolution”

The graphic from the OIST in the link makes reference to both the reduced power needed and reduced capital costs, less mirrors & cheaper EUV light source. Also, less power -> less heat -> less cooling. I scoured for some other info as well: A single chip would go through a photo-lithography tool about 80 times. A photo-lithography tool can work on approx. 125 wafers per hour (5 FOUPS). A wafer contains ~230 chips. Current EUV light source requires a 20kw carbon laser. [VIDEO] [LINK]

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@throwaway311312025 · in “How Are Transistors Assembled Inside a CPU? [video]”

In the description they say a video on lithography is on the way. In the mean time maybe this one from the same channel: [VIDEO] Great channel

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@itopaloglu832025 · in ““One Student One Chip” Course Homepage”

Just to add to this, the Branch Education YouTube channel has great videos detailing the manufacturing process as well, here's one for starters: [VIDEO]

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@Kye2025 · in “TSMC Arizona outage saw fab halt, Apple wafers scrapped”

A video showing those steps, for the curious: [VIDEO] It's probably not 100% identical to TSMC's process.

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