Moore's Law faces unprecedented challenges as semiconductor manufacturing costs skyrocket exponentially while the number of capable companies dwindles. Current 2nm processes rely on increasingly complex technologies like EUV lithography and GAAFET transistors, but fundamental physical and economic barriers are converging. Photomask costs have reached $40M, fab construction exceeds $100B, and traditional scaling approaches are hitting walls in photoresist chemistry, power density, and defect rates. The industry may need radical departures from current methods, potentially embracing higher defect tolerance, vertical integration, or entirely new manufacturing paradigms to continue progress.
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