xLight

xLight is a deep-tech startup founded in 2021 by Will Schumaker and headquartered in Palo Alto, California, developing particle accelerator-driven Free Electron Lasers (FELs) for the semiconductor industry. The company's primary mission is to commercialize this technology for critical U.S. economic and national security applications, with a focus on Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. The firm is led by CEO and CTO Nicholas Kelez, with former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger serving as the executive chairman of the board.

The company's core product is a new type of light source for EUV lithography machines, which are essential for etching the microscopic patterns on advanced semiconductor chips. Unlike the current Laser-Produced Plasma (LPP) systems, xLight's FEL technology leverages proven particle accelerator physics from the U.S. National Lab ecosystem to generate light. This system is designed to produce up to four times more power than existing light sources, enabling finer lithographic patterning for smaller, more efficient chips. A key feature is that the FEL system is designed to be fully backward-compatible with existing lithography scanners from ASML, the current market monopolist for EUV machines. By connecting to an xLight FEL, a fab can significantly upgrade a scanner's performance without replacing the entire tool. One xLight system is engineered to support up to 20 scanners with a 30-year operational lifetime.

xLight's business model centers on providing a more efficient and powerful light source to semiconductor fabrication plants ("fabs"). The company claims its technology can reduce per-wafer costs by approximately 50% and lower both capital and operating expenditures by more than threefold. The system is also designed to be more sustainable, with a 5X improvement in energy efficiency and water consumption. The company is targeting a significant market chokepoint, as the light source is a primary driver of both cost and capacity in advanced chip manufacturing. The company has established partnerships with research institutions like Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Cornell's CLASSE, and Los Alamos National Laboratory to advance its technology. xLight has raised a total of $51.6M over two funding rounds, including a $40.6M Series B in 2024 led by Playground Global. The company aims to have a feature-complete prototype operational and printing wafers by 2028.

Keywords: Free Electron Laser, FEL, Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography, EUV, semiconductor manufacturing, particle accelerator, light source, lithography technology, deep-tech, chipmaking, wafer fabrication, semiconductor capital equipment, photonics, next-generation chips, High-NA EUV, advanced lithography, U.S. supply chain, national security technology, semiconductor innovation, accelerator physics