Can Apple possibly make their laptop thinner than the current retina MacBook Pro? Perhaps. Digitimes is reporting that Apple is working with suppliers on a new process to remove 0.15mm from the thickness on the light used for the illuminated keyboard.

The illuminated keyboard is used in both the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

Apple will reduce the thickness of light guide plates for the illuminated keyboards in its MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models from 0.4mm currently to 0.25mm in 2013, according to sources in Apple’s supply chain.

Since the current injection process for the production of 0.4mm light guide plates has been optimized to its limit, makers utilizing extrusion processes are likely to win orders for 0.25mm light guide plates, the sources indicated.

MacRumors points out some speculation from Kyle Wiens of iFixIt, who believes that the added thinness for the keyboard would help prevent residual marks from the keyboard on the screen when the laptop is closed.

[via MacRumors]