Incredible technology - the light-source works by generating droplets of molten tin, firing them through a chamber at around (IIRC) 200mph, and hitting each droplet with two laser pulses... at 50kHz.
How they achieve that using Lego is beyond me.
nivertech 5 days ago [-]
> How they achieve that using Lego is beyond me.
They used a 3nm process node[1] to squeeze this machine into Lego-sized blocks.
I'm so confused by this sentence. What does the real thing have to do with Lego?
stavros 6 days ago [-]
I imagine it was a good joke. At least I laughed.
danparsonson 6 days ago [-]
Sorry yes that last part was a joke :-)
thecompilr 6 days ago [-]
It is crazy that it had to be explained and you feel the need to apologize for it.
danparsonson 5 days ago [-]
Thank you - that's humour though isn't it? I think the best jokes start with a moment of confusion which is resolved by sudden understanding, but sometimes that understanding never arrives and then the joke doesn't land - that's partly due to the listener and partly due to the person telling the joke.
thih9 7 days ago [-]
Context - it’s a Lego model of a machine used to produce computer chips:
> The TWINSCAN EXE:5000 is the first 0.55 NA, or ‘High NA’, EUV lithography system. Its 8 nm resolution will enable chipmakers to print with a single exposure features 1.7 times smaller – and therefore achieve transistor densities 2.9 times higher – than those possible using TWINSCAN NXE systems.
Export prohibited under the Wassenaar arrangement but ... where are all the pieces made?
toast0 7 days ago [-]
Lego currently has factories in North America, Europe and Asia[1]. Their PDF says the China factory supplies China and the rest of Asia; but I think supply isn't as regimented as suggested, I recall seeing more than just Henco in Mexico on my recently purchased sets in the US (I think I've gotten things made in Hungary and Czech Republic).
This was the first post I saw about this set. Over the course of the weekend, I have been seeing articles all over the internet about it. And now the site admins had to just completely take down the page for all the LEGO sets in the store. They are probably now rethinking having the employee store open to the public.
There seems to be a model of the ASML TWINSCAN NXE3400C which shows the inner workings, but doesn't show on the ASML site. Would be neat if someone could track down the build instructions.
Well you can produce’s chips with a 2.9 times higher transistor density. So it’s a steal!
gautamcgoel 7 days ago [-]
This is amazing! Does anyone know if it uses any custom pieces, or are all of the pieces standard Lego pieces?
smokel 7 days ago [-]
It says "Original Lego parts" on the page.
Apparently, it was created by Rick Lenssen [1], who works at the Development & Engineering department of ASML. It seems more likely that he used existing bricks, instead of molding new ones.
With that surname working for ASML must be a dream job ;-)
throwup238 7 days ago [-]
Nominative determinism strikes again.
Aeolun 6 days ago [-]
230 dollars seems expensive for something with 850 ish parts?
tedd4u 6 days ago [-]
Retail US$ prices for Lego-branded kits are usually about $0.10 per piece. So I would expect this kit would cost about $85 if Lego were selling it, implying a +170% premium.
kratom_sandwich 7 days ago [-]
Wow, the store has Christmas ornaments, a Rubik's cube, another lego set and lots of swag. Not what I expected ...
nxobject 6 days ago [-]
Never underestimate the value of being the sales exec to hand out free merch with every multimillion-dollar purchase.
nzamora 6 days ago [-]
This is intended to be the employee store. it isn't strictly on the internal domain for convenience, but it definitely isn't targeted to non-employees.
RantyDave 6 days ago [-]
I like how it has a suitably ASML price as well.
qwertyuiop_ 7 days ago [-]
This is peak “2000”
Rendered at 13:25:11 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) with Vercel.
Incredible technology - the light-source works by generating droplets of molten tin, firing them through a chamber at around (IIRC) 200mph, and hitting each droplet with two laser pulses... at 50kHz.
How they achieve that using Lego is beyond me.
They used a 3nm process node[1] to squeeze this machine into Lego-sized blocks.
—-
1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_nm_process
I'm so confused by this sentence. What does the real thing have to do with Lego?
> The TWINSCAN EXE:5000 is the first 0.55 NA, or ‘High NA’, EUV lithography system. Its 8 nm resolution will enable chipmakers to print with a single exposure features 1.7 times smaller – and therefore achieve transistor densities 2.9 times higher – than those possible using TWINSCAN NXE systems.
https://www.asml.com/en/products/euv-lithography-systems/twi...
[1] https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/aboutus/assets/blt79cd916d0945ea...
There seems to be a model of the ASML TWINSCAN NXE3400C which shows the inner workings, but doesn't show on the ASML site. Would be neat if someone could track down the build instructions.
https://asmlstore.com/collections/ready-to-ship/products/twi...
There is another set available on their site.
Not happy, yet had to buy it. so cool.
Apparently, it was created by Rick Lenssen [1], who works at the Development & Engineering department of ASML. It seems more likely that he used existing bricks, instead of molding new ones.
[1] https://ricklenssen.com/