EUV light source maker Adlyte expands semiconductor operations
Zug, Switzerland--Developer of high-brightness extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light sources for advanced semiconductor inspection and metrology applications Adlyte has expanded operations to better support its customers and gear up for growth by appointing industry veteran Joseph R. Bronson to its strategic advisory board and constructing a new, larger facility for customer development.
One of three laser-produced plasma (LPP) EUV light source suppliers in the world, Adlyte is the only one focused on developing light sources for photomask and wafer inspection applications, which are critical for manufacturing future generations of advanced semiconductor devices. As with EUV lithography, high-source brightness and power are the most critical requirements for implementing EUV photomask inspection in high-volume manufacturing. Extremely small nanometer-scale defects on EUV masks and patterned wafers can result in catastrophic yield losses. High-brightness light sources are needed to detect and capture these defects with high throughput. Adlyte has demonstrated 20 W of power with brightness of more than 250 W/(mm squared) steradian, which exceeds the requirements for actinic mask and aerial image metrology system (AIMS) inspection.
As part of Adlyte's expansion efforts, a new facility has been constructed that nearly triples the amount of development space available for use. Adlyte is also building an additional light source to address the requirements for actinic mask inspection, AIMS and other types of inspection for sub-1x-nm devices. Adlyte's appointment of Bronson to its strategic advisory board will prove invaluable in guiding the company as it furthers the development of its high-brightness EUV light source.
"We're pleased to have Joe Bronson on our strategic advisory board. He's a recognized leader in the semiconductor industry and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to support our efforts and is a significant addition to our team," said Reza S. Abhari, co-founder of Adlyte. "Adlyte is continuing its commitment to the semiconductor industry by assembling the team, products and executive management, which are required to implement EUV and enable the continuation of Moore's Law for the semiconductor industry."
Bronson previously spent 21 years with Applied Materials in various general management, operations, and financial management positions, including executive VP and CFO. Since leaving Applied Materials in 2004, he held various executive management positions, including co-CEO of FormFactor, a manufacturer of wafer probe cards, and president and chief operating officer of Sanmina-SCI, a diversified contract manufacturer. Bronson is currently a member of the board of directors of Maxim Integrated Products and Jacobs Engineering Group.
Adlyte was formed in 2009 as a spin-off from ETH Zurich to commercialize the technology, IP, and patents developed at ETH over the past 6 years. Adlyte applies plasma physics and thermal management to produce an integrated fully-automated LPP EUV light source to enable the manufacture of nanoscale semiconductor devices.
SOURCE: Adlyte; www.adlyte.com/events/press-release.html