On August 10, SpaceX unveiled a strategic partnership with Tesla, initiating the project with a hefty investment of $16.8 billion. Their joint venture aims to construct a cutting-edge Terafab chip manufacturing plant in Texas, USA. Drawing inferences from the details disclosed by Terafab, some bloggers have surmised that Musk appears poised to pursue the 'Free Electron Laser' (FEL) technology path. This move is seen as an attempt to rival ASML's LPP EUV light source and disrupt the longstanding monopoly of traditional EUV wafer fabrication technology. Musk subsequently fueled these speculations by posting the phrase 'FEL FTW' (an acronym for 'FEL For The Win'), which seemed to lend credence to the rumors.

Given the elongated design of the Terafab factory and Musk's cryptic response, it seems plausible that Terafab will indeed incorporate FEL technology. While Musk's potential adoption of FEL technology remains speculative at this stage, it has already ignited fervent debates within the industry. FEL technology boasts several advantages, including high power output, exceptional coherence, tunable wavelength capabilities, and superior energy efficiency. In theory, it has the potential to propel lithography light sources from the current 13.5nm wavelength to 6nm or even shorter, marking a significant leap forward.

However, the path to industrialization is fraught with challenges. The enormous accelerator system required for FEL technology, coupled with its exorbitant costs and concerns over stability during mass production, pose formidable obstacles. These factors must be addressed before FEL technology can realistically compete with established EUV lithography methods on a large scale.