AlixLabs Secures Notice of Allowance for US Patent for Innovative Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology

Swedish semiconductor startup’s APS™ patent portfolio continues to grow with xth U.S. patent, marking the company’s 10th pending global patent.

Stockholm, Sweden – May 6th, 2025 – AlixLabs is excited to announce that the US Patent and Trademark Office has issued the notice of allowance for the company’s latest patent application, US20250087487A1, titled Formation of an array of nanostructures. This milestone marks the next step in AlixLabs’ commitment to advancing semiconductor manufacturing technologies.

Internally referred to as the “Tetris” patent, in honor of Alexey Pajitnov, the new patent integrates self-aligned double patterning (SADP) with atomic layer etching (ALE)-based pitch splitting (APS™) technology. This innovative approach, being industrialized by AlixLabs since its founding in 2019, combines elements of both classical and leading-edge techniques to deliver superior performance for semiconductor manufacturing.

The invention arose from AlixLabs’ efforts to develop a process for precise sidewall angle control in APS™, a key component in silicon-based processes. By leveraging plasma etch process selectivity and combining features from complex plasma processes, AlixLabs has pioneered a method that blends the traditional SADP process with the advanced APS technology.

This allows the company to utilize mature industrial technologies while benefiting from the advanced control and improved performance of cyclic processes and topographical selectivity. As a result, AlixLabs’ solution offers semiconductor manufacturers an enhanced ability to address the challenges of patterning at sub-5 nm nodes.

This breakthrough is significant for the integration of APS™ technology into existing semiconductor production workflows, preserving the use of existing Process Design Kits (PDKs) which are essential tools for chip designers. By doing so, it reduces the barrier for APS adoption in high-volume manufacturing (HVM), easing the transition to next-generation semiconductor technologies.

The patented innovation provides semiconductor manufacturers with greater flexibility, offering a new way to fine-tune the APS™ process to meet the needs to cut capital and operational expenditure (CapEx and OpEx) as well as emissions for customers at advanced technology nodes, while allowing for broader compatibility with different materials. This new method further strengthens AlixLabs’ core APS™ patent portfolio, positioning the company as a leading enabler of next-generation semiconductor manufacturing.

Moreover, this invention not only supports the development of leading-edge logic, memory, and photonics but also simplifies the semiconductor manufacturing process by reducing CapEx and OpEx for semiconductor fabs.

“We remain committed to advancing semiconductor manufacturing with innovations that significantly enhance the precision, flexibility, and efficiency of our technologies,” commented Dmitry Suyatin, co-founder and CTO of AlixLabs. “This patent represents a critical step forward in our mission to drive the next generation of semiconductor processes and further solidify our position as a leader in the field.”

AlixLabs Secures Notice of Allowance for US Patent for Innovative Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology – AlixLabs

SemiWiki CEO Interview with Jonas Sundqvist of AlixLabs

In a recent interview with Daniel Nenni, Jonas Sundqvist, CEO and co-founder of AlixLabs, discussed the company’s pioneering role as the world’s only pure-play Atomic Layer Etch (ALE) equipment provider. Drawing on his academic background in ALD and CVD from Uppsala University, Sundqvist explained how AlixLabs’ APS (ALE Pitch Splitting) technology enables atomic-scale precision in semiconductor patterning. APS helps chipmakers reduce process complexity, lower costs by up to 40% per mask layer, and improve yield, particularly in advanced logic and memory manufacturing. As the industry pushes toward sub-10 nm nodes, APS offers a scalable and sustainable alternative to traditional multi-patterning and EUV lithography.

Sundqvist emphasized that AlixLabs addresses critical pain points in semiconductor production, such as increasing lithography costs, complexity, and sustainability concerns. By minimizing energy use, reducing fluorinated gas emissions, and improving process efficiency, APS supports a greener and more cost-effective manufacturing path. AlixLabs differentiates itself from giants like ASML and proponents of self-aligned multi-patterning by offering a complementary technology that simplifies patterning. The company is currently collaborating with major chipmakers and research institutes, preparing a Beta tool for pilot testing by late 2025 and targeting high-volume manufacturing between 2027 and 2029.

Sources:

CEO Interview with Jonas Sundqvist of AlixLabs - SemiWiki

EU Business Hub | Semicon Japan 2024 Business Mission - Introducing AlixLabs AB

Introducing AlixLabs AB (Sweden): one of our selected companies to participate on the EU Business Hub at Semicon Japan 2024. 

During the recent EU Business Hub at Semicon Japan 2024 business mission that took place between the 9th and 13th of December, we witnessed the spark of global collaboration in action. European and Japanese companies participating in the mission shared their impressions – and their feedback reveals exciting opportunities on the horizon. 

The EU Business Hub at Semicon Japan 2024 mission stood out for its comprehensive approach to supporting European businesses seeking to enter the Japanese market: 

Tailored B2B Matchmaking: European companies had the chance to meet with key Japanese industry players through personalized B2B meetings, fostering future partnerships.

Market Intelligence & Local Expertise: Participants received valuable market insights and coaching on business culture, provided by the programme team, helping them navigate the Japanese market with ease.

Cultural & Linguistic Support: Expert interpreters and briefings on Japanese business culture ensured that each interaction was smooth and effective.

EU-Branded Pavilion: A platform for European companies at Semicon Japan 2024, showcasing cutting-edge solutions and elevating visibility among global tech leaders.

AlixLabs Demonstrates 3 nanometers on Intel Silicon – Without EUV

The Swedish semiconductor company has fabricated leading-edge structures without using complex and costly lithography techniques.

The Swedish semiconductor company AlixLabs announces that it has used its technology to etch structures equivalent to commercial 3-nanometer circuits on Intel test silicon. Notably, this has been achieved without the use of extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) or advanced multi-patterning techniques such as SADP and SAQP (Self-Aligned Double Patterning and Self-Aligned Quad Patterning, respectively).

AlixLabs, a startup based in Lund, specializes in the development of Atomic Layer Etching (ALE), a type of plasma-based dry etching for cutting-edge structures, and ALE Pitch Splitting (APS), which enables transistor fins to be split using etching. The advantage of this approach is that it significantly reduces costs at the cutting edge, where wafer prices skyrocket with each new generation.

"We are pleased to demonstrate how APS can help the industry reduce its dependence on multi-patterning while lowering costs and environmental impact. Our technology enables the fabrication of sub-10-nanometer structures on silicon, and through Intel’s Test Vehicle Program, we have proven that sub-5-nanometer structures can be achieved using etching alone."

– Dmitry Suyatin, CTO and Co-Founder of AlixLabs

According to Dmitry Suyatin, AlixLabs’ CTO, this demonstration was made possible through Intel’s Test Vehicle Program, which provided test silicon for AlixLabs to process with its APS technology. While ALE has traditionally been limited to structures in the 10-nanometer class, AlixLabs' APS technique has significantly simplified the manufacturing of structures smaller than 5 nanometers.

Etching 3-nanometer-class structures without advanced EUV lithography, using only immersion lithography, is a significant breakthrough—provided the technology can be scaled and applied in practical manufacturing. AlixLabs has previously stated its goal of seeing its technology adopted by TSMC and Samsung for their 2-nanometer processes.

Since the industry moved past the 28-nanometer node, multi-patterning has become increasingly necessary to create smaller structures and transistors. This lithographic technique involves breaking down complex patterns into simpler ones and sequentially patterning them onto the silicon wafer for higher precision and detail. Lithography can perform this in two, three, or four steps (SADP, SAQP), though more steps are theoretically possible, they are considered too complex and costly for practical use at smaller nodes.

"APS technology demonstrates that complex multi-patterning techniques such as SADP and SAQP are not needed to manufacture circuits at 5 nanometers and below. This increases the potential to use immersion lithography for critical mask layers in 3-nanometer processes. These results were achieved with our early Alpha equipment, and Beta equipment will follow later in 2025. We thank Intel for enabling this demonstration and providing high-quality test silicon."

– Jonas Sundqvist, CEO and Co-Founder of AlixLabs

While lithographic multi-patterning is often necessary, it comes with several downsides. Each additional step requires more masks, which must be precisely aligned to form the final, complex pattern. Even a slight misalignment can lower yield and performance, but more importantly, it significantly extends production time. Avoiding multi-patterning whenever possible is therefore always preferable.

It is essential to distinguish between "nanometer-class" structures and actual physical nanometer measurements. What AlixLabs has achieved is a metal pitch (the distance between metal interconnects connecting transistor gates) of 25 nanometers through dry etching. This compares to TSMC’s most advanced 3-nanometer process, which achieves a metal pitch as low as 23 nanometers in certain high-density configurations.

AlixLabs highlights this test silicon as a major milestone towards commercialization and announces that more updates will follow later in 2025. Additional details will be presented by CTO Dmitry Suyatin at SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning in San Jose, California, on February 27, from 9:00–9:20 AM (local time).

Sources:

AlixLabs demonsterar 3 nanometer på Intel-kisel – utan EUV – Semi14

AlixLabs to Showcase Latest APS™ Findings at SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning – AlixLabs

Browse the 2025 program for SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning

AlixLabs Qualifies APS™ for Use In 300-millimeter Silicon Wafer Designs

Swedish semiconductor startup clears technical hurdle for leading-edge process use on 300 mm wafer design*.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of amorphous silicon lines before (top) and after the APSTM process: nominal 40 nm line width and 40 nm half-pitch converted to lines with width below 15 nm and a half-pitch of 20 nm. Bild: Alixlabs

Stockholm, Sweden – September 12th, 2024 – AlixLabs AB, a Swedish semiconductor startup specializing in Atomic Layer Etching (ALE), announces that it has qualified its APS™ (ALE Pitch Splitting) process on a 300-millimeter silicon wafer design, marking one of its final steps towards commercial adoption. APS™ provides atomic-scale precision and pattern fidelity with critical dimensions below 15 nanometers for both single crystalline and amorphous silicon.

AlixLabs APS™ is designed to reduce the cost of leading-edge manufacturing, sub-7-nanometer, where feature sizes of less than 20 nanometers are required. An estimated cost saving of up to 40 percent per mask layer can be achieved with APS™ rather than relying on EUV lithography, and complex self-aligned multi patterning schemes.

AlixLabs' patented and wordmarked APS™ IP – short for Atomic Layer Etch (ALE) Pitch Splitting, here demonstrated in a simple animation.

“Proving that APS™ works on lithography designs on 300-millimeter wafers, is what we’ve all worked on since we founded AlixLabs in 2019,” says CEO and co-founder Dr. Jonas Sundqvist. “Not only do we aim to provide chip manufacturers wafer processing equipment that can create 20-nanometer half-pitch lines and critical dimension below 15 nanometers on silicon, we aim to do that at a lower cost and a more sustainable way than other technologies”

“We are also able to provide record breaking 3-nanometer critical dimension features on gallium phosphide (GaP) wafers today showing that APS™ can scale far into the future beyond what is needed today,” adds CTO and co-founder Dmitry Suyatin.

APS™ is positioned as an alternative to self-aligned double and quadruple patterning (SADP and SAQP). It allows for splitting dense line structures that can act as a foundation for transfer-etch into various materials such as dielectrics, metals, metal nitrides, and high-k dielectrics. The structures created with APS™ can also be used as-is for critical device features such as the fins in FinFET-type transistors due to extremely low surface damage.

AlixLabs’ goal is to supply leading semiconductor manufacturers, in both logic and memory segments. By enabling them to simplify and speed up their chip production at least fourfold for each critical mask layer by replacing four plasma wafer processing chambers in the SADP process flow with one APS™ chamber and eightfold correspondingly in SAQP. Finally, AlixLabs contributes overall to more sustainable semiconductor manufacturing.

*EBL patterned 300 mm wafers were provided by Fraunhofer IPMS Center Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT) and financed by Ascent+ European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under GA No 871130.

Sources:

www.alixlabs.com

AlixLabs announces EU-wide APS Trademark and nearing commercialization on 300-millimeter wafer equipment

The European Intellectual Property Office grants Swedish semiconductor startup registration of the phrase APS (ALE Pitch Splitting).

Lund, Sweden – April 5th, 2024, AlixLabs AB, a Swedish semiconductor startup specializing in Atomic Layer Etching, announces that it has been granted a certification of registration for its trademark APS by the European Union Intellectual Property Office. The acronym APS stands for Atomic Layer Etching (ALE) Pitch Splitting and describes the company’s revolutionary process that aims to enable the semiconductor industry produce chips of the future at Ångström scale (1Å = 0.1 nanometer) at lower cost and energy use.

Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs (top) and Thomas Engstedt CEO of Nanovac and Dmitry Suyatin CTO of AlixLabs (Bottom).

“As we are nearing commercialization of our technology on 300-millimeter (12-inch) silicon wafers, it feels great to finally have a unique trademark to our unique semiconductor manufacturing process,” comments Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs. “We have been etching transistor fins since 2019, and within the upcoming quarters we will have fully validated the APS process on 300-millimeter wafers with new equipment developed by our fellow countrymen at Nanovac.”

Having previously demonstrated APS on bulk silicon, AlixLabs aims to install the new Nanovac-developed equipment in the summer of 2024. Once up and running, the goal is to finalize a commercial APS process that can be licensed to leading-edge semiconductor manufacturers to enable cheaper, more energy-efficient and sustainable production of advanced chips.

“This 300-millimeter wafer tool combines our deep industry knowledge with practical design innovations, aiming to offer improved precision and efficiency in semiconductor manufacturing,” says Thomas Engstedt, founder and CEO at Nanovac. “It’s a disruptive step forward for Atomic Layer Etching and APS processing, setting a solid foundation for future advancements by employing modular design concepts.”

APS is the first trademark of AlixLabs, joining the company’s growing portfolio of patents related to the APS process that includes one EU, two U.S., and two Taiwanese patents.

About AlixLabs

Established in 2019 in Lund, Sweden, AlixLabs emerged as a spin-off from Lund University with a mission to enable the cost-effective and energy-conscious fabrication of semiconductors, particularly logic and memory components. AlixLabs boasts patented recognition for its groundbreaking APS technique, a process that achieves nanostructure division through etching. This method holds approved patents across the USA, Taiwan, and Europe. The APS acronym signifies ALE Pitch Splitting, leveraging ALE (Atomic Layer Etching), a plasma-based dry etching cyclic methodology. For more details, please visit www.alixlabs.com

AlixLabs Celebrates Gold Sponsorship at ALD/ALE 2024 in Helsinki: Honoring Dr. Tuomo Suntola and Embracing Advances in Atomic Layer Etching

 We are proud to be Gold Sponsors of ALD/ALE 2024 in Helsinki, Finland . We look forward to contribute to the conference program and meet you in the exhibition. We especially look forward to join the celebration 50 Years of ALD and honor the inventor and Millennium Prize Winner 2018 Dr. Tuomo Suntola.

It is also a prime event for Atomic Layer Etching this year since our CTO Dr. Dmitry Suyatin and our Advisory Board Member Prof. Fred Roozeboom are co-chairing the ALE Conference!

Please visit The Conference Page for full details: https://ald2024.avs.org/

ALD Stories Ep.20 - The story behind AlixLabs and ALE Pitch Splitting

Jonas Sundqvist joined the ALD Stories podcast again to talk about his company, AlixLabs! Check out their Atomic Layer Etch Pitch Splitting tech and how it challenges traditional patterning techniques.

Spotify - https://lnkd.in/djrMbZ-v
Apple - https://lnkd.in/d93sW3JK

AlixLabs proudly announce its Advisory Board

AlixLabs from Lund, Sweden, has developed a new, innovative method for manufacturing semiconductor components with a high degree of packing, eliminating several steps in the semiconductor manufacturing process - Atomic Layer Etch Pitch Splitting (APS)*. The method makes the components cheaper and less resource-intensive to manufacture in high-volume semiconductor wafer fabrication and can open up a new path for a more sustainable mass production of electronic products. The method also makes it possible to manufacture tiny semiconductor components accurately and efficiently with more manageable wafer fab equipment investments.

The company is pleased to announce an Advisory Board with long-term semiconductor industry and business experts and academic leadership. In a statement from Dr. Jonas Sundqvist, CEO and co-founder of AlixLabs, he said, "Our Advisory Board adds a new level of engagement with the semiconductor industry and leading research centers needed to transfer the APS technology into high volume manufacturing. Besides strategic business decisions, we must build an ecosystem around our disruptive patterning technology. With their support, we will be able to deeply engage the semiconductor ecosystem on all levels and in all supply sectors, from materials and equipment suppliers to the wafer fabs and recognized R&D labs and institutes in this amazing industry".

Lita Shon-Roy – President/CEO and Founder of TECHCET—has worked throughout the semiconductor supply chain, leading strategy, business development, marketing, and sales for chip designers, equipment OEMs, and material suppliers for over 30 years. Her experience spans from process development of SRAMs to business development of gases & precursors. She developed new business opportunities for companies such as RASIRC/Matheson Gases, Air Products & Chemicals, and IPEC/Speedfam, and managed marketing and sales in companies such as Air Products/Schumacher, Brooktree/Rockwell, and Hughes Aircraft. Ms. Shon-Roy is considered one of the leading experts in electronic materials market analysis and business development. She has authored and co-authored 100’s of articles, reports, and texts on semiconductor process materials markets, trends, and worldwide supply chain issues. She holds an Masters Business Administration (MBA) from California State University, Dominguez Hills, a Master of Science (MS) in Electrical Engineering with a specialty in Solid State Physics from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Chemical Engineering from UC San Diego.

Prof. dr. Fred Roozeboom is emeritus/guest professor in the Inorganic Membranes group at the University of Twente and consultant to the high-tech industry. From 2007 until Dec. 2021 he was a part-time, full professor at TU Eindhoven in the group Plasma & Materials Processing, and from 2009-2021 he was Senior Technical Advisor at TNO Holst Centre, Eindhoven, aiming at new applications in Atomic Layer Deposition and Etching, area-selective ALD, Li-ion micro-batteries, and EUV optical lifetime. From Sept. 2021 - Sept. 2022 he was a Research Fellow at LionVolt, a start-up, working on pilot line production of 3D thin-film Li-batteries on metal foil. Fred is co-/author of >200 publications (h-index 42), 5 book chapters, 39 granted US patents, co-/editor of 51 conference proceedings on semiconductor & microsystems processing, and executive

editor of open access journal Atomic Layer Deposition. He was or is active in conference committees for the Materials Research Society, Electrochemical Society, American Vacuum Society, IEEE, DPS-Japan, and SEMI Europe Semiconductor Technology Programs Committee.

Dr Jacques Kools has over 35 years of experience in nanotechnology R&D, focusing on capital equipment and process for vacuum etch and deposition processes. He started his career at Philips Research, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, working on reactive ion beam and laser etch processes and magnetic materials. He worked in various roles in the semiconductor equipment industry in Silicon Valley, most recently as Vice President of Technology and Director of Strategic Marketing at Veeco Instruments (NASDAQ: VECO). His current position is CEO and founder of Encapsulix, a supplier of Atomic Layer Deposition ( ALD) equipment and process technology. Dr. Kools holds a Ph.D. from the Eindhoven University of Technology. He has published extensively with more than 100 refereed papers, including more than 10 invited reviews and more than 20 US patents (h index of 30 and i10 index of 60).

AlixLabs AB today announced that the company has been granted a second patent in the USA relating to Atomic Layer Etch Pitch Splitting (APS) for semiconductor manufacturing

MON, SEP 12, 2022 21:19 CET. AlixLabs from Lund, Sweden, has developed a new, innovative method for manufacturing semiconductor components with a high degree of packing, eliminating several steps in the semiconductor manufacturing process - Atomic Layer Etch Pitch Splitting (APS)*. The method makes the components cheaper and less resource-intensive to manufacture and can open up a new path for a more sustainable mass production of electronic products. The method also makes it possible to manufacture tiny semiconductor components accurately and efficiently with manageable wafer fab equipment investments.

The company is now pleased to announce having been granted a second patent in the USA. USA is one of the most important markets for leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing, a huge industrial and consumer market for the most advanced electronic products and hence crucial for AlixLabs to protect its innovative APS process by IP.

In a statement from Dr. Dmitry Suyatin, CTO and co-founder of AlixLabs on the origin of the invention and R&D activities in Lund, he said "Our key technology is based on a surprising discovery that sidewalls act as a topographical mask in Atomic Layer Etch Processes. This technology has been proven for such different materials as Gallium Phosphide (GaP), Silicon (Si) and Tantalum Nitride (TaN) – all being critical materials to the semiconductor and optoelectronic industry. Besides already having secured a granted the first US and Taiwan patent, we are now delighted to announce that our second US patent has also been granted and that we have more patent applications in the pipeline".

AlixLabs: Amin Karimi, Reza Jafari Jam, Yoana Ilarionova, Jonas Sundqvist and Dmitry Suyatin.

Dr. Amin Karimi, R&D and Operation Manager, added, "I am delighted to add that ALixLabs has been finalized a 1 Million SEK Vinnova funded project to verify the APS technology in the fabrication and electrical characterization of nanowire test transistor architectures this summer". Dr. Jonas Sundqvist, CEO and co-founder of AlixLabs, concluded that "The strategy as we advance is to successfully transfer the APS technology to 300 mm wafer processing and making it readily available for process demonstration for the leading IDMs & Foundries. We don't only hope to cut cost in semiconductor manufacturing but also to reduce the energy and clean water demand and output of greenhouse gasses during chip manufacturing considerably. This is not by itself a Green Fab Technology. However, it takes one small step in the right direction."

* Atomic Layer Etch Pitch Splitting (APS). As previously reported (April 30, 2021), The US Patent Office has approved AlixLabs's patent application for nanofabrication by ALE Pitch Splitting (APS). The US Patent Office has issued a patent (US10930515) on February 23, 2021 and now the second patnet (US11424130) on August 23, 2022. The patents covers methods to split nanostructures in half by a single process step using Atomic Layer Etching (ALE). The method can have a significant impact on the semiconductor industry by enabling sustainable scaling of electronic components and shrink chip designs further in a cost-effective way. The method is complementary for single exposure Immersion and Extreme UV (EUV) Lithography and corresponding multiple patterning technologies like self-aligned double and quadruple patterning (SADP resp. SAQP) as well as multiple exposure lithography-etch and directed self-assembly (DSA).

Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs, phone +46 767 63 94 67, email jonas@alixlabs.com.

AlixLabs (www.alixlab.com) is an innovative startup founded in 2019 in Lund, Sweden, enabling the semiconductor industry to scale down Logic and Memory components in a cost-effective manner by the use of ALE Pitch Splitting (APS).

AlixLabs at AVS ALD ALE 2022 in Ghent, Belgium

AlixLabs AB participated and presented at The AVS 22nd International Conference on Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD 2022) featuring the 9th International Atomic Layer Etching Workshop (ALE 2022) in Ghent, Belgium June 27 to 29.

Yoana gave her oral presentation in session LE1-TuA-4 In-situ Optical Emission Spectroscopy as a Tool to Characterize Cyclic Quasi-Atomic Layer Etching, Yoana Ilarionova, Lund University, Sweden; M. Karimi, AlixLabs, Sweden; D. Lishan, D. Geerpuram, Plasma-Therm LLC, USA; R. Jafari Jam, D. Suyatin, J. Sundqvist, AlixLabs, Sweden; I. Maximov, Lund University, Sweden

Jonas gave an invited talk for TECHCET LLC CA in: AA2-TuM2-1 High ALD Equipment and Precursor Demand and 5-Year Forecast Due to Continued Semiconductor Device Scaling and Fab Expansions.

Dmitry as part of the AVS ALE Scientific Committee moderated the session ALE1-TuA In situ Studies, Mechanisms, and Modeling of ALE. We had a fantastic time and met a lot of old friends and made new ones!

Team photo: Reza Jafari Jam, Jonas Sundqvist, Yoana Ilarionova and Dmitry Suyatin.

Reza and Yoana taking on the ALD / ALE industrial exhibition.

Ghent by night, view from the Beneq party in the main castle - Gravensteen.

Dinner in a Castle.

Boat trip in beautiful Ghent

New slim line of MFCs and Valves from Fujikin.

Dmitry and Jonas met up with AlixLabs' long-time supporters Prof. Fred Roozeboom and Dr. Jacques Kools.

Yoana getting questions from Prof. Steven .M. Geroge himself.

Yoanas title slide.

ALE - the icing on the cake

Angélique Raley from Tokyo Electron USA giving the best ALE talk!

AlixLabs sponsored the Social Media Chair 2022 - please check Twitter by the Social Media Chairs @Mick__geek and @hacp81

 for more famous ALD and ALE people 

AVS ALD ALE 2022 Page: ald2022.avs.org/

AlixLabs, Breaking through the Crisis – Startups

While the world is dealing with the semiconductor shortage, startups are gearing up to fill in the gap with their innovative offerings to ensure that crisis doesn’t last long. In this interview, the co-founder and CEO of AlixLabs, Dr. Jonas Sundqvist discusses about what led us to this crisis, how to fix it and what role startups have in ensuring interrupted supply of silicon. He also discusses about what next when this crisis is fixed? Is there another crisis that may arise?

AlixLabs Granted Patent in Taiwan - The Unmatched Leader of the Global Semiconductor Industry

TUE, OCT 12, 2021 21:01 CET -- AlixLabs AB today announced that the company has been granted a patent in Taiwan relating to Atomic Layer Etch Pitch Splitting (APS)

AlixLabs from Lund, Sweden, has developed a new, innovative method for manufacturing semiconductor components with a high degree of packing, eliminating several steps in the manufacturing process - Atomic Layer Etch Pitch Splitting (APS)*. The method makes the components cheaper and less resource-intensive to manufacture and can open up a new path for a more sustainable mass production of electronics. The method also makes it possible to manufacture tiny semiconductor components accurately and efficiently, which means that smaller production facilities in, for example, Europe will be able to manufacture the components with manageable investments. Today, basically all production of leading-edge semiconductors takes place in the USA and Asia, and mainly in Taiwan and South Korea.

The company is now pleased to announce the first granted patent in Tawan. Taiwan is one of the most important markets for leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing and hence crucial for AlixLabs to protect its innovative APS process by IP. The Taiwanese semiconductor industry, including IC manufacturing, design, and packing, forms a significant part of Taiwan's IT industry. Due to its strong capabilities in fab wafer manufacturing and a complete industry supply chain, Taiwan has distinguished itself from its competitors and dominate the global marketplace. Taiwan is the unmatched leader of the worldwide semiconductor industry, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) alone accounting for more than 50% of the global market. In 2020, the sector accounted for US$115 billion in output. Recently, Terry Tsao (曹世綸), global chief marketing officer and Taiwan president of SEMI, said the country's semiconductor equipment spending is expected to continue to grow in 2022 and replace South Korea as the world's largest market next year.**

As previously announced (September 28, 2021), Almi Invest and private investors, including NHL professionals Michael, Alexander and William Nylander, are participating in the issue for a total of SEK 9 million (USD 1 million) investment in AlixLabs. The funds will be used for product development and validation of the APS technology.

In a statement from Dr. Dmitry Suyatin, CTO and co-founder of AlixLabs on the origin of the invention and R&D activities in Lund, he said "Our key technology is based on a surprising discovery that sidewalls act as a topographical mask in Atomic Layer Etch Processes. This technology has been proven for such different materials as Gallium Phosphide (GaP), Silicon (Si) and Tantalum Nitride (TaN) – all being critical materials to the semiconductor and optoelectronic industry. Besides already having secured a granted US patent, we are now delighted to announce that our Taiwan patent has also been granted and that we have more patent applications in the pipeline".

The Diploma to AlixLabs for the recently Granted Patent (TW I739812) in Taiwan issued by The Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO, 經濟部智慧財產局)

Dr. Mohammad Karimi, R&D and Operation Manager, added, "I am delighted that ALixLabs has been granted a 1 Million SEK project to verify the APS technology in the fabrication of FinFET and GAA-FET transistor architectures by Vinnova in June 2021".. Dr. Jonas Sundqvist, CEO and co-founder of AlixLabs, concluded that "The strategy as we advance is to successfully transfer the APS technology to 300 mm wafer processing in Dresden, Germany and making it readily available for process demonstration for the leading IDMs & Foundries. We don't only hope to cut cost in semiconductor manufacturing but also to reduce the energy and clean water demand and output of greenhouse gasses during chip manufacturing considerably. This is not by itself a Green Fab Technology. However, it takes one small step in the right direction."

* Atomic Layer Etch Pitch Splitting (APS). As previously reported (April 30, 2021), The US Patent Office has approved AlixLabs's patent application for nanofabrication by ALE Pitch Splitting (APS). The US Patent Office has issued a patent (US10930515) on February 23, 2021. The patent covers methods to split nanostructures in half by a single process step using Atomic Layer Etching (ALE). The method can have a significant impact on the semiconductor industry by enabling sustainable scaling of electronic components and shrink chip designs further in a cost-effective way. The method is complementary for single exposure Immersion and Extreme UV (EUV) Lithography and corresponding multiple patterning technologies like self-aligned double and quadruple patterning (SADP resp. SAQP) as well as multiple exposure lithography-etch and directed self-assembly (DSA).

** Wikipedia

*** September 15, 2021-Hsinchu News, SEMI (International Semiconductor Industry Association) https://www.semi.org/zh/world_fab_forecast_fabuctor Industry Association) https://www.semi.org/zh/world_fab_forecast_fab

Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs, phone +46 767 63 94 67, email jonas@alixlabs.com

AlixLabs (www.alixlab.com) is an innovative startup founded in 2019 in Lund, Sweden, enabling the semiconductor industry to scale down Logic and Memory components in a cost-effective manner by the use of ALE Pitch Splitting (APS).

Swedish Semiconductor Startup AlixLabs Raises USD 1 Million Seed Capital

TUE, SEP 28, 2021 00:01 CET, Almi Invest is investing close to SEK 3 million in AlixLabs, which is developing a new method for manufacturing semiconductor components cheaper and faster. Private investors, including NHL professionals Michael, Alexander and William Nylander, are also participating in the issue for a total of SEK 9 million (USD 1 million). The funds will be used for product development and validation of the APS-technology.

Semiconductor components build up the computer chips found in virtually all electronic products, such as smartphones, servers, game consoles, computers and cars. They can be described as the brain and memory that make electronic products work.Today's semiconductor components are extremely small, making them more difficult and expensive to manufacture. The industry is working to cope with this challenge through new and innovative approaches. Common to these new methods is that they are complex and in most cases extremely expensive.

Now AlixLabs from Lund, Sweden, has developed a new, innovative method for manufacturing semiconductor components with a high degree of packing, which eliminates several steps in the manufacturing process - Atomic Layer Etch Pitchsplitting (APS)*. The method makes the components cheaper and less resource-intensive to manufacture and can open up a new path for a more sustainable mass production of electronics. The method also makes it possible to manufacture extremely small semiconductor components in an accurate and efficient way, which means that also smaller production facilities in, for example, Europe will be able to manufacture the components with manageable investments. Today, basically all production of leading edge semiconductors takes place in the USA and Asia, mainly in Taiwan and South Korea.

Dr. Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs AB.

- AlixLab's disruptive manufacturing method has enormous market potential and enables continued technology development and more powerful electronics that are at the same time much more resource-efficient, says Anna Gisselsson, Investment Manager at Almi Invest.The company's method is covered by an approved patent in the United States* and it has additional patent applications in other countries.

- Thanks to this investment, we can take the company to the next level, says Dr. Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs. Today, we have a number of ongoing negotiations with R&D actors, equipment and semiconductor manufacturers to create a basis for further cooperation for the development of our products. In the longer term, we want to create an ecosystem covering the complete value chain for APS and we hope to have a strong base in Europe with a global reach.

.- The R&D from these funds will allow us to strenghten and expand our IP portfolio for our properitary APS-technology, says Dr. Dmitry Suyatin, CTO of AlixLabs.

From left to right, Dr. Dmitry Suyatin, CEO, Dr. Mohammad Karimi R&D and Operations Manager, and Dr. Jonas Sundqvist, CEO.

AlixLabs Board of directors: https://www.alixlabs.com/who-we-are

* Atomic Layer Etch Pitch Splitting (APS). As previously reported (April 30th, 2021) The US Patent Office has approved AlixLabs’s patent application for nanofabrication by ALE Pitch Splitting (APS). The US Patent Office has issued a patent (US10930515) on February 23, 2021. The patent covers methods to split nanostructures in half by a single process step using Atomic Layer Etching (ALE). The method has the potential to have a big impact on the semiconductor industry by enabling sustainable scaling of electronic components and shrink chip designs further in a cost-effective way. The method is complementary for single exposure Immersion and Extreme UV (EUV) Lithography and corresponding multiple patterning technologies like self-aligned double and quadruple patterning (SADP resp. SAQP) as well as multiple exposure lithography-etch and directed self-assembly (DSA).

Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs, phone +46 767 63 94 67, email jonas@alixlabs.com

AlixLabs (www.alixlab.com) is an innovative startup founded in 2019 in Lund, Sweden, enabling the semiconductor industry to scale down Logic and Memory components in a cost-effective manner by the use of ALE Pitch Splitting (APS).

Vinova fund Swedish AlixLabs Breakthrough green technology in Nanostructures Miniaturization for Electronic Chips

Vinnova has decided to grant AlixLabs application to Innovative Startups step 2 "Breakthrough green technology in Nanostructures Miniaturization for Electronic Chips" in the spring of 2021. 140 applications were received for the call, of which 35 were given grants. The assessment is based on a weighting of the six main criteria Relevance, Potential, Team, Implementation, Sustainability, and Gender Equality. The applications have been assessed in competition with each other. AlixLabs application was judged to meet the criteria to a great extent. 

AlixLabs aim to validate our breakthrough green technology for nanofabrication of nanostructures for applications in electronic chips. It is to demonstrate that Alixlabs' method is technically viable for the production of low dimensional transistors down to 2 nm node size, in line with the newly designed European Flagship "A European Initiative on Processors and semiconductor technologies" (LINK) to develop next-generation chips and 2 nm technology with €146.5 B, supported by 22 EU members. This demonstration will minimize the risks for AlixLabs entering the semiconductor industry market and ecosystem.

Miniaturization of electronic components, known as Moore's law, is fundamental to the entire IT explosion leading to the fast processing of data. Production of sub 10 nm chips requires advanced equipment such as extreme UV lithography (EUVL) tools, costing over €100 million, not affordable to all manufacturing companies or adding extreme investment cost for those companies still in the scaling race. Our innovative patented technology (WO2017157902A1) enables miniaturization without requiring or reducing the number of process steps using costly EUVL. This way, less financially powerful manufacturers (fabs) can get back to semiconductor production chains on level terms with large competitors from the USA and Asia. Our technology uses Atomic Layer Etching (ALE) for pitch splitting of nanostructures, which allows for efficient and high-volume nanopatterning and offers to reduce operating cost up to 35 - 50% and energy use and greenhouse emissions by 25 - 50% per Lithography mask layer requiring advanced Immersion base multiple patterning technology or EUVL single and double exposure.

BREAKTHROUGH DEVELOPMENTS

We envision two breakthrough developments in this project:

(1) Application of ALE pitch splitting nanofabrication for electronic chip manufacturing down to 2 nm Foundry node size

(2) Demonstration of first transistors produced by ALE pitch splitting

Vinnova is the Swedish government agency that administers state funding for research and development. The agency's mission as defined by the government is to promote the development of efficient and innovative Swedish systems within the areas of technology, transportation, communication and labour.

About AlixLabs AB:

AlixLabs (www.alixlabs.com) is an innovative startup enabling the semiconductor industry to scale down Logic and Memory components in a cost-effective manner by the use of ALE Pitch Splitting (APS).

Background Information:

Lund Nano Lab: https://www.nano.lu.se/facilities/lund-nano-lab

IDEON Science Park: https://www.ideoninnovation.se/our-startups

Schweden wollen mit Ätz-Spalttechnik Chipproduktion in Sachsen umkrempeln

Alix Labs aus Lund testet Verfahren nun im Silicon Saxony, berichtet Heiko Weckbrodt bei Oiger.de

Lund/Bannewitz, 13. Mai 2021. Ingenieure aus Schweden und Sachsen wollen gemeinsam die Mikroelektronik-Produktion umkrempeln. Dafür hat das schwedische Technologie-Unternehmen „Alix Labs“ ein Verfahren entwickelt, das die Produktion neuester Computerchips mit Strukturgrößen unterhalb von zehn Nanometern (Millionstel Millimeter) stark vereinfachen und verbilligen soll. Dabei geht es auch darum, den Einsatz teurer Belichtungsanlagen mit „Extremer Ultraviolett-Strahlung“ (EUV) zu vermeiden, die etwa 120 Millionen Euro pro Maschine kosten und für die es weltweit nur eine Quelle gibt: ASML aus den Niederlanden. Um auf alternativen Wegen feinste Chipstrukturen zu erzeugen, setzen die Schweden auf eine „Pitch-Splitting-Methode“ (APS) mittels Atomlagen-Ätzen (Atomic Layer Etching, abgekürzt ALE). „Plasway Technologies“ aus Bannewitz in Dresden transferiert dieses Verfahren nun in einen industrienahen Maßstab auf 300 Millimeter großen Siliziumscheiben (Wafer).

Weiterlesen: LINK

„In Schweden haben wir keine 300-Millimeter-Infrastruktur“, erklärt „Alix Labs“-Chef Jonas Sundqvist die Kooperation mit den Sachsen. „Unsere Technologie kann in bestehende Prozessabläufe der Halbleiterherstellung integriert werden. Theoretisch könnten Chipfabriken wie die Globalfoundries-Fab 1 in Dresden unsere Methode einführen und dann 10- oder 7-Nanometer-Chips herstellen ohne teure EUV-Anlagen.“ Als Kunden sieht er aber auch Branchenriesen wie Intel, TSMC und Samsung.

The US Patent Office has approved AlixLabs’ patent application for nanofabrication by ALE Pitch Splitting (APS)

(30 April 2021, Lund Sweden). The US Patent Office has approved AlixLabs’ (AlixLabs AB) patent application for nanofabrication by ALE Pitch Splitting (APS).

The US Patent Office has issued a patent (US10930515) on February 23, 2021. The patent covers methods to split nanostructures in half by a single process step using Atomic Layer Etching (ALE). The method has the potential to have a big impact on the semiconductor industry by enabling sustainable scaling of electronic components and shrink chip designs further in a cost-effective way. The method is complementary for single exposure Immersion and Extreme UV (EUV) Lithography and corresponding multiple patterning technologies like self-aligned double and quadruple patterning (SADP resp. SAQP) as well as directed self-assembly (DSA).

In direct comparison to mentioned more complicated and expensive methods, APS may cut the need for certain fab equipment investments considerably, reduce manufacturing cost and energy consumption as well as reduce greenhouse gas emission during the patterning processing by up to 50%, allowing greener and affordable way forward for the semiconductor industry.

AlixLabs aims at applications for the manufacturing of leading-edge sub 5nm Logic Devices and Memory Chips that are used for everyday consumer electronic devices, 5G and AI.

The company’s CEO Dr. Jonas Sundqvist comments:

After founding the company in 2019 we now move into very exciting times. The team has been expanded with Dr. Mohammad Karimi as Principal Scientist and we have several applications and projects in the pipeline for broadening our patent protection and creating further opportunities for commercial agreements starting now. Currently, we are taking on the first round of private investments and will expand operations for both core activities in Lund, Sweden, at NanoLund and Lund Nano Lab, and the IDEON Science Park in Sweden. In addition, we are heading to the heart of the European semiconductor industry in Dresden Germany for a lab to fab transfer to 300 mm silicon wafer process verification to get ready for customer demonstrations of APS.

The company’s CTO Dr. Dmitry Suyatin comments:

This patent is built on a surprising discovery by the inventors, which took place at Lund Nano Lab during the Master project by Dr. Sabbir A. Khan who has recently received his PhD from the University of Copenhagen and now continues his postdoctoral work at Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen.

About AlixLabs AB:

AlixLabs (www.alixlabs.com) is an innovative startup enabling the semiconductor industry to scale down Logic and Memory components in a cost-effective manner by the use of ALE Pitch Splitting (APS).

Background Information:

Lund Nano Lab: https://www.nano.lu.se/facilities/lund-nano-lab

IDEON Science Park: https://www.ideoninnovation.se/our-startups

Picture:

AlixLabs AB launched ALE Pitch Splitting (APS) for the first time at ALD & ALE Ireland 2016

We did not want to steal the thunder from our good Irish friends and St. Patrick Day we wish you all a healthy recovery today and breakfast for Champions. Yesterday we remembered our trip to Dublin and launching our proprietary technology, APS - ALE Pitch Splitting, for the first time to a bigger audience. Since then a lot of things has happened at AlixLabs AB in Lund, Sweden:

• We received soft funding and invest support to found the company by LU Holding (LINK) - AlixLabs AB in Lund, Sweden operating out of IDEON Science park (LINK) and Lund Nano lab at Lund University
• We received SwedishVinnova grant for "Innovative startups" 93 startup-bolag får dela på 28 miljoner | Vinnova
• We hired our first Full-time employee Dr. Mohammad Karim, Principal Scientist (LINK)
• We signed an agreement to use the lab facilities of Sweden’s largest research environment for nanoscience and nanotechnology - Lund Nano Lab (LINK)
• We applied for an Additional 2.7 MSEK EU and National Swedish Soft co-funding in early 2021 and have additional 3 projects in the pipeline.
• We have started our 1st Investment round to close before Swedish Midsummer - please get in touch if you want a meeting! (jonas@alixlabs.com or LinkedIn: LINK)

ALE Pitch Splitting (APS) taking place at the Lund Nano Lab exhibition stand in the ALD Ireland 2016 Industry Exhibition.

Video from presentation invited given by Dr. Dmitry Suyatin LINK. Staff Engineer at Lund Nano Lab and CTO of AlixLabs AB and on the Scientific Committee of AVS ALE.

A possible starting point of ALE Pitch Splitting explained best using Guinness Beer Barrels.

Prof. Samuelson from Lund University opening ALD Ireland 2016

Dr. Simon Elliott, main Chair of the Conference, teaching us how to tap a Guinness with a perfect solid head. Then at Tyndall National Institute and now Director of  Atomic Level Simulation at Schrödinger.

Dr. Dmitry Suyatin AlixLabs to be CTO at the Poster Session after his invited talk on ALE Pitch Splitting (Abstract LINK).

Interesting discussions with the Inventor of the Entegris/ATMI ProEvap Technology, Ravi Laxman, for solid precursor delivery in HVM at all the leading IDMs and Foundries since 2007.

Social Event by Air Liquide and Picosun at The Temple Bar in Dublin

Social Event by Air Liquide and Picosun at The Temple Bar - all enjoying a few pints of Guinness.

Industry panel on the future of ALD and ALE with the leading expertise Prof. Ritala (Helsinki University, Prof Roozeboom (TU Eindhoven/TNO), Dr. Suvi Haukka (ASM Micro Chemistry), Dr. Jean Marc Girard (Air Liquide and Dr. David Thompson (Applied Materials)

Moderation by ALD2016 Co-ChairDr. Jonas Sundqvist, then Operation Manager of Lund Nano Lab.

Green Beam splitting at the Gala Dinner & Award ceremony.

The fantastic Conference Centre in Dublin by night, The Convention CentreDocklands, Dublin 

All photos above by Herr und Frau Dr. Knaut (C)2016 (https://www.katharinaknaut.com/index.php?seite=archiv&name=201608jonasald)