Building the world’s most powerful lasers
We’re on a mission to build and deploy particle accelerator driven Free Electron Lasers (FEL) for critical U.S. economic and national security applications.
The Problem
xLight is working with leading fabs to introduce a fully backward-compatible light source with distinct advantages.
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Our system produces 4X more power that enables better lithographic patterning, which is necessary to manufacture chips with smaller and more efficient feature sizes. In addition to being more powerful, our FEL system has programmable light characteristics that improve current capabilities and enable next-generation lithography (e.g., shorter wavelengths) - uniquely enabling the extension of Moore’s Law for decades. Connecting existing ASML scanners to an xLight FEL significantly improves the tool’s capabilities, delivering next-version scanner performance without the cost and complexities.
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By delivering up to 4X higher EUV power, fabs can optimize patterning improvements, productivity, and yield, unlocking billions in additional annual revenue per scanner and ~50% per wafer cost reduction. Additionally, a single xLight system can support up to 20 ASML scanners with a 30-year operating lifetime, reducing capital and operating expenditures by more than 3X.
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5X Improvement in Energy Efficiency and Water Consumption
Many fabs are limited by available power and water – by contrast, xLight's FEL system reduces power and water usage by up to 8X per wafer
No Required Consumables
Unlike LPP, xLight’s system does not require tin or hydrogen, providing significant savings in operational costs and better availability.
Proven Technology, Not an Experiment
Our system leverages proven technologies that have been pioneered and refined over decades in the U.S. National Lab ecosystem. xLight has worked with partners in the national labs for years to engineer these core technologies to meet the requirements of high-volume manufacturing.
xLight is currently building a feature-complete prototype that will be operational and printing wafers in 2028.
Who We Are
xLight is a venture-backed start-up based in Palo Alto, CA, led by a group of deeply experienced technologists and semiconductor industry veterans with a long track record of building complex technical systems. Our team has decades of experience designing, building, and deploying free electron lasers across a wide range of applications, from research and development to national security missions.
The Solution
Leading-edge semiconductors are the essential commodity for economic prosperity and national security. The most advanced semiconductor manufacturing relies on Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) light to perform lithography – the process that determines the resolution and accuracy of the circuit patterns on each chip.
Today’s EUV light source – Laser Produced Plasma (LPP) – only provides 25% of the light required by current lithography technology and is physically incapable of meeting the power demands of future lithography technologies and techniques. Todays light source is a significant limiting factor in advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
xLight is building the world’s most powerful Free Electron Lasers (FELs) to replace LPP and revolutionize advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
xLight's system will enhance the current technology roadmap, transform existing semiconductor fab capabilities, and enable next generation chip production – all while reducing capital and operating expenses.
