There is such a thing as X-ray lithography, but it comes with significant challenges that make it not really worth it compared to EUV.

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bpavuk 2 hours ago | parent [-]

I'd like to hear more about these challenges

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magicalhippo an hour ago | parent [-]

As I understand it, primarly because due to the high energy level of x-rays, light x-ray interacts very differently with materials[1]. Primarily they get absorbed, so very difficult to make mirrors or lenses, which are crucial for litography to redirect and focus the light on a specific miniscule point on the wafer.

The primary method is to rely grazing angle reflection, but that per definition only allows you a tiny deflection at a time, nothing like a parabolic mirror or whatnot.

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-ray_optics

	▲	newswasboring 44 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		All of these problems or equivalent still exist in EUV. Litho industry had to kind of rethink the source and scanner because it went from all lenses to all mirrors in EUV. This is also why low NA and high NA EUV scanners were different phases. As I hear it, the decision had large economic component related to Masks and even OPC.