“A Norwegian startup called Lace is raising $40 million on the belief that it has found one.”
“The company has already developed prototype systems and is targeting a test tool in a pilot chip fabrication plant, or fab, around 2029.”
“Norwegian chip-tool startup Lace raised $40 million to develop helium atom beam lithography, which it says could 'print' chip features far smaller than today’s best machines.”
“the Series A, led by Atomico and joined by backers including Microsoft’s M12, is meant to move Lace from prototypes toward a pilot-fab test tool targeted for 2029.”
“The Norwegian startup is betting helium atom beams can beat today’s EUV lithography, potentially shrinking transistor features by 10x.”
“Lace Lithography, a Bergen-based chipmaking equipment startup, has raised €34.5 million ($40 million) in a Series A round to enable the next 100 years of chip production. Since its founding two years ago, the company has secured over €51.7 million ($60 million) in total funding, including this round.”
“Founded in 2023 by Dr Holst and Adrià Salvador Palau, Lace develops BEUV (Beyond-EUV) atom lithography systems to enable the quantum future on an industrial scale.”
“Lace tackles this issue by entirely removing light. The company is developing a new generation of lithography technology for microchip production and is working on a solution that uses metastable helium atoms instead of light to pattern semiconductor wafers.”
“By using atoms instead of light, it claims to extend Moore’s Law a decade beyond current tech.”
“Lace, a Norway-headquartered chipmaking equipment startup which is backed by Microsoft, has raised $40 million in funding to further develop a technology that could enable significant advances in semiconductor design and manufacturing, the company said on Monday.”
“Instead of light, Lace's engineers have made a form of lithography that uses a helium atom beam. With that, the Norwegian company will be able to create chip designs that are 10 times as small as what is currently possible, CEO Bodil Holst told Reuters in an interview.”
“Smaller transistors and other features would give chipmakers the ability to ramp up the performance of advanced AI processors well beyond the current capabilities. Lace's technology would enable chip manufacturers to print wafers at what is 'ultimately atomic resolution,' Holst said.”
Norwegian startup Lace Lithography has raised $40 million in funding to advance its innovative helium atom beam lithography technology. Targeting a pilot fabrication tool by 2029, this method promises to shrink chip features by tenfold, potentially allowing manufacturers to create transistors at atomic resolution. As the semiconductor sector grapples with persistent shortages, Lace's developments may significantly enhance chip design and production capabilities.
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