Enlarge this image Jeff Guo/NPR
This is the story behind one of the most valuable — and perhaps, most improbable — technologies humanity has ever created. It’s a breakthrough called extreme ultraviolet lithography, and it’s how the most advanced microchips in the world are made. The kind of chips powering the latest AI models. The kind of chips that the U.S. is desperately trying to keep out of the hands of China.
For years, few thought this technology was even possible. It still sounds like science fiction: A laser strong enough to blast holes in a bank