News – AlixLabs

June 23, 2026

AlixLabs launches Sax Forma for the Ångström era

Lund, Sweden – June 23, 2026 – AlixLabs AB, a semiconductor equipment company specializing in advanced etch and patterning technologies, launched Sax Forma, an APS™ System, the company’s first commercially available equipment platform for Atomic Pitch Splitting (APS).

The launch marks AlixLabs’ transition from technology validation toward customer engagement, process integration, and industrial equipment deployment. Sax Forma is designed to bring APS™ into advanced semiconductor manufacturing flows, where continued scaling increasingly depends on reducing patterning complexity.

“With Sax Forma, we are taking APS from validated technology to a commercially available equipment platform,” said Jonas Sundqvist, CEO at AlixLabs. “This is an important step for AlixLabs as we begin deeper customer engagement around how APS can be integrated into existing manufacturing flows and support the industry’s continued scaling roadmap.”

Patterning has become one of the most cost-sensitive and technically demanding areas of advanced chip production, as scaling increasingly requires multi-patterning, additional process loops, and tighter control of critical dimensions, overlay, film thickness, and profile. APS addresses this challenge as a complementary patterning system inserted downstream of established lithography-based process flows, including DUV, EUV, and nanoimprint lithography.

By increasing pattern density without requiring a new lithography platform, APS enables fabs to reduce patterning complexity while preserving existing fab infrastructure and manufacturing investments.

Sax Forma builds on APS demonstrations using industry-relevant silicon, including 300 mm silicon wafers from UMC and Intel FinFET test silicon. On the Intel test silicon, APS reduced the half-pitch from 25 nanometers to 12.5 nanometers, demonstrating performance relevant to geometries associated with the 3-nanometer class. In laboratory settings, AlixLabs has also shown that sequential APS processing can enable further half-pitch reduction, pointing toward future scaling as the industry moves toward 2-nanometer, Ångström-class nodes, and beyond.

Together, these demonstrations support AlixLabs’ core claim: that APS can enable controlled half-pitch refinement in dense, line-based patterning layers without relying on repeated spacer-based process loops.

“APS is designed to complement lithography by adding a controlled pitch-splitting step after the initial pattern has been defined,” said Amin Karimi, CTO at AlixLabs. “The objective is to reduce patterning complexity while preserving compatibility with established process flows. That integration model is central to how we see APS being adopted by semiconductor manufacturers.”

Sax Forma is being industrialized together with VDL ETG Projects, AlixLabs’ partner for system integration and high-tech equipment manufacturing. Building on the collaboration announced earlier this year, VDL ETG Projects is supporting the transition of APS from advanced R&D and process validation into industrial equipment, drawing on its experience in design, engineering, realization, and scale-up from first-of-a-kind systems toward batch manufacturing.

AlixLabs has also built a strong and growing patent portfolio around APS and its equipment platform. The core APS principle is patent protected in key semiconductor markets including the EU, the United States, and Taiwan, while the company expects its process optimization work and hardware innovations to be covered by nine and eleven patent families, respectively, by the end of the year.

Sax Forma enters the market as AlixLabs’ Beta system, intended for customer evaluation, integration work, and validation in production-like environments. As the first commercially available APS equipment platform, it forms the basis for the company’s planned Gamma platform, targeted for 2028.

With Sax Forma, AlixLabs is bringing APS to market as a semiconductor equipment platform that offers a solution to one of the industry’s central scaling challenges: reducing patterning complexity on the path toward the Ångström era.

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.

May 7, 2026

AlixLabs to host APS™ System Launch Event in Eindhoven on June 4

Lund, Sweden – May 7th, 2026 – AlixLabs will host the official launch event for its APS™ (Atomic Pitch Splitting) System, gathering guests from across the semiconductor ecosystem at High Tech Campus Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

The event marks an important milestone in AlixLabs’ transition from technology validation toward industrial deployment, as the company moves to introduce APS™ as a new patterning approach for advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

As advanced semiconductor manufacturing faces increasing challenges related to patterning complexity, process cost and manufacturability, APS™ has been developed to enable advanced pitch division through Atomic Layer Etching-based integration schemes aimed at simplifying multi-patterning flows and reducing process complexity in advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

During the event, AlixLabs will present the APS™ system architecture, recent development progress and the broader industrial implications of the technology, including process integration, manufacturability and future scaling opportunities.

“APS™ has been developed with manufacturability and industrial scalability in mind from the beginning,” said Jonas Sundqvist, CEO and Founder of AlixLabs. “This event represents an important step as we continue expanding our ecosystem engagement and move toward future industrial implementation.”

The APS™ System Launch Event will take place on June 4, 2026 at High Tech Campus Eindhoven in the Netherlands, with registration opening at 15:00 CEST and the main program running from 16:00 to 18:00, followed by networking.

Event details:

Date: June 4, 2026

Location: High Tech Campus Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Registration opens: 15:00 CEST
Main program: 16:00–18:00 CEST
Networking session: 18:00 onwards

Due to limited venue capacity, registration is required. Additional information and registration details are available here:

APS™ Launch Event Registration

April 14, 2026

AlixLabs Closes 15 M EUR Series A with Strategic Investment from Stephen Industries

Lund, Sweden – April 14th, 2026 – AlixLabs, a pioneer in Atomic Layer Etching (ALE) technology for next-generation semiconductor manufacturing, today announced that it closed its 15 million euro Series A in the first quarter of 2026 following a strategic investment from Stephen Industries, a Finnish investment company with a strong track record in scaling advanced technology ventures.

In November 2025, AlixLabs announced that Global Brain and key institutional investors had subscribed to its Series A to the tune of 14,1 million euro, with the difference to the 15 million total remaining open until the first quarter of 2026.

The investment marks a strategic milestone for AlixLabs as it continues to develop its proprietary ALE solutions with especially its flagship APS™ (Atomic Pitch Splitting) technology aimed at enabling more precise, efficient, and cost-effective semiconductor fabrication.

A key dimension of the partnership is the involvement of Kustaa Poutiainen of Stephen Industries, whose experience in building and scaling deep-tech companies brings significant strategic value. Poutiainen previously played a central role in the growth of Picosun, a Nordic Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) company that became a global leader in its field. Given the close technological relationship between ALD and ALE, this track record is particularly relevant to AlixLabs’ mission.

“Stephen Industries brings deep industrial expertise and a proven ability to scale companies in adjacent technology domains,” said Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs. “Kustaa’s experience with Picosun is especially valuable as we move from development toward broader commercialization of our APS™ platform.”

Atomic Layer Etching is widely seen as a critical enabler for future semiconductor nodes, complementing ALD processes by allowing atomic-scale precision in material removal. As device architectures become increasingly complex, ALE is expected to play a central role in manufacturing.

“AlixLabs operates in a highly promising space within semiconductor process technology,” said Kustaa Poutiainen, Chairman and President of Stephen Industries. “Having seen firsthand how ALD evolved from a niche innovation to a critical industry standard, I see strong parallels with ALE. AlixLabs has the potential to follow a similar trajectory.”

The new funding will be used to accelerate product development, expand technical capabilities, and strengthen partnerships with semiconductor manufacturers.

This investment reinforces AlixLabs’ position as a key innovator in the European semiconductor ecosystem and supports its ambition to become a global leader in Atomic Layer Etching.

April 7, 2026

AlixLabs and VDL ETG Projects Announce MoU for APS™ Patterning Technology Industrialization

Lund, Sweden – April 7^th, 2026 – AlixLabs AB, a semiconductor equipment company specializing in Atomic Layer Etching (ALE) innovations, today announced that the company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with VDL ETG Projects, part of VDL Groep, to advance the production of APS™ (Atomic Pitch Splitting) equipment.

The agreement marks a significant step toward industrializing AlixLabs’ APS™ technology, enabling scalable manufacturing solutions for advanced semiconductor patterning.

APS™ is designed to address critical challenges in next-generation semiconductor fabrication by enabling precise pitch splitting through atomic layer etching. This approach offers a cost-efficient and energy-conscious alternative to increasingly complex multi-patterning and EUV-based lithography.

Under the MoU, VDL ETG Projects will play a key role in developing and manufacturing the industrial APS™ tools, leveraging its expertise in system integration and high-tech equipment manufacturing. The collaboration aims to transition APS™ from advanced R&D into robust, production-ready systems for semiconductor fabs.

“This MoU represents an important milestone for AlixLabs as we move from technology validation toward industrial deployment,” said Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs. “Partnering with VDL ETG Projects strengthens our ability to scale APS™ and bring a new patterning paradigm to the semiconductor industry. Their industrialization capabilities are a strong complement to our process innovation.”

Sorin Stan, Senior Director for Emerging Technologies at VDL ETG Projects added:
“The implementation of AlixLabs’ research in the manufacturing processes for advanced semiconductor devices will contribute to overall cost reductions and increased production speeds. The industrialization of the first-of-a-kind APS™ equipment currently under development for AlixLabs will play an essential role in fulfilling the next-node strategies at many of their customers.”

The partnership reflects a shared ambition to accelerate the adoption of innovative patterning technologies and support the semiconductor industry’s need for sustainable scaling.

About VDL ETG Projects
As part of VDL Groep of The Netherlands, VDL ETG Projects has a proven track record in supporting innovative companies in the transition from the feasibility to the design, engineering, and realization of their equipment. With all needed expertise under one roof, VDL ETG Projects scales up the equipment manufacturing from first-of-a-kind units to batch manufacturing, and further to turnkey realization of complex production lines. VDL Groep is an industrial conglomerate headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. It was founded in 1953 and consists currently of more than 100 specialized companies employing together more than 14,000 employees in 20 countries and operating in several industrial sectors. For more details, please visit https://www.vdlgroep.com/en.

February 26, 2026

AlixLabs Granted EU Trademark Registration for Power ALE

Lund, Sweden – 26 February, 2026 – AlixLabs AB today announced that the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has formally granted registration of the Power ALE trademark (EU Trademark No. 019250271), reinforcing the company’s expanding intellectual property portfolio in advanced semiconductor manufacturing technologies.

The registration was recorded on 5 February 2026 by the EUIPO and secures protection for the Power ALE brand across the European Union.

Power ALE is trademarked across a broad range of semiconductor-related goods and services, reflecting AlixLabs’ vertically integrated approach to innovation and commercialization. The registration covers, among other areas:

Chemical substances and materials for use in semiconductor manufacturing, including etchants, oxidants, thin-film deposition materials and semiconductor silicon
Semiconductor manufacturing machinery and wafer processing equipment, including etching systems and substrate processing machines
Semiconductors, integrated circuits, wafers, optoelectronic devices and related software
Processing and custom manufacturing services for semiconductor components, wafers, nano-scale materials and nanostructures
Research, technical consultancy, and design services in semiconductor process technology, integrated circuits and nano-scale materials

The breadth of the registration underscores Power ALE’s role within AlixLabs’ technology ecosystem and aligns with the company’s Atomic Layer Etching-based process innovations, including its previously announced APS™ (Atomic Layer Etching Pitch Splitting) trademark.

“Securing EU-wide trademark protection for Power ALE marks another important milestone in strengthening AlixLabs’ intellectual property platform,” said Dmitry Suyatin, Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of AlixLabs. “Power ALE represents a strategic extension of our Atomic Layer Etching expertise, covering not only process technology but also materials, equipment, software and semiconductor devices. By protecting the brand across this full value chain, we are reinforcing our long-term commitment to industrialization and commercialization of advanced nanoscale manufacturing technologies in Europe.”

The registration provides legal protection for the Power ALE brand through 22 September 2035 and supports AlixLabs’ continued engagement with semiconductor manufacturers, equipment partners, and research institutions across the EU and internationally.

With both APS™ and Power ALE™ now formally protected trademarks within the European Union, AlixLabs continues to build a structured brand architecture around its proprietary Atomic Layer Etching innovations – positioning the company for expanded partnerships, licensing opportunities and future product introductions.

February 5, 2026

AlixLabs Receives Notice of Allowance in Taiwan for Selective Etching Nanostructures Patent

The company strengthens its APS™ patent portfolio in the world’s single most important semiconductor market.

Lund, Sweden – February 5, 2026 – AlixLabs today announced that the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for a patent application covering selective etching methods for nanostructures, strengthening the company’s intellectual property portfolio in advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

The allowed claims relate to a maskless selective etching process that enables highly controlled material removal at the nanoscale by exploiting topographical etch selectivity. The invention allows selective etching of horizontal surfaces relative to inclined or faceted surfaces, enabling the formation of extremely fine features without additional lithography steps.

The now allowed patent covers nanostructures, directed towards applications in advanced transistor architectures such as FinFET and gate-all-around (GAA) devices, where precise dimensional control below 20 nm is critical.

“This allowance further validates AlixLabs’ core approach to maskless nanofabrication,” said Dmitry Suyatin, CSO at AlixLabs. “Selective etching based on surface topography enables new scaling paths while reducing process complexity and cost, which is increasingly important for next-generation logic and memory devices.”

The Taiwan allowance is part of AlixLabs’ broader patent family originating from the company’s foundational work on selective etching of nanostructures, with corresponding filings in multiple jurisdictions. Taiwan is a strategically important market due to its central role in global semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem.

Following completion of the remaining formalities, the patent is expected to proceed to grant.

December 19, 2025

AlixLabs Appoints Arthur van der Poel to Advisory Board

Lund, Sweden – December 19, 2025 – AlixLabs today announced the appointment of Arthur van der Poel to its Advisory Board, further strengthening the company’s strategic and technological leadership as it advances its semiconductor innovation roadmap.

Arthur van der Poel brings decades of senior leadership experience across the global semiconductor and microelectronics ecosystem. He previously served as CEO of Philips Semiconductors and has held prominent board and governance roles at several technology leaders, including ASML, one of the most critical companies in the global semiconductor manufacturing supply chain. He has also played a key role in advancing European semiconductor collaboration through leadership positions in major R&D initiatives.

At AlixLabs, van der Poel will advise on long-term strategy, industry partnerships, and scaling pathways for the company’s flagship APS™ product, with a particular focus on the evolving needs of the global semiconductor market.

“AlixLabs is addressing challenges that are highly relevant to the future of semiconductor manufacturing,” said Arthur van der Poel. “I look forward to supporting the team as they move from demonstrated technology solutions into industrial and commercial impact.”

Arthur van der Poel joins the Advisory Board as Jacques Kools, who began his career at Philips Research Laboratories in Eindhoven, steps down from his role. Kools has been an important contributor to AlixLabs’ development, offering guidance and insight during key phases of the company’s growth.

“It has been a great experience to work with the world class team at AlixLabs as the company matures its technology with a subtle equilibrium of market focus and technological breakthrough,” commented Jacques Kools.

“We are deeply grateful to Jacques for his commitment and contributions to AlixLabs,” said Jonas Sundqvist, CEO at AlixLabs. “At the same time, we are honored to welcome Arthur van der Poel. His experience across semiconductor leadership, governance, and European industry collaboration will be invaluable as we move into our next stage.”

Jacques Kools leaves the Advisory Board with the company’s full appreciation and best wishes, while Arthur van der Poel’s appointment further strengthens AlixLabs’ world-class advisory network aligned with the future of semiconductor technology.

December 5, 2025

AlixLabs to Present at SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning 2026

AlixLabs is proud to announce its participation at SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning, the semiconductor industry’s leading forum for breakthroughs in optical and EUV lithography, patterning technologies, and process integration.

We are excited to share that two of our submitted abstracts has been accepted for oral presentation at the SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning conference, one in partnership with UMC:

Atomic layer etching pitch splitting (APS™) for nanoimprint lithography: Combining simplicity, precision, and sustainability
Date/Time: 24 February 2026, 11:10–11:30 AM (PST)
Presenter: Reza Jafari Jam, Research Director at AlixLabs
This talk presents new results on applying AlixLabs’ APS™ atomic-layer–etch-based pitch splitting to Si structures¹. We demonstrate sub-13 nm half-pitch patterning and discuss how APS™ can offer a more cost-effective and sustainable alternative to conventional multi-patterning routes.
Link to abstract: SPIE
Self-aligned quadruple patterning made simple: Extending the applications of atomic layer etch-induced pitch splitting (APS™)
Date/Time: 24 February 2026, 11:50 AM–12:10 PM (PST)
Presenter: Robin Athle, Principal Researcher at AlixLabs
In this presentation, we extend APS™ toward a streamlined alternative to self-aligned quadruple patterning (SAQP) in collaboration with United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC). The process enables a 4× density increase using a simplified three-step flow, delivering ~12 nm half-pitch structures while reducing complexity versus traditional SAQP schemes.
Link to abstract: SPIE

SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning will be held in San Jose, California, bringing together global experts in lithography and nanopatterning.

We look forward to connecting with partners, customers, and fellow researchers at the symposium.

If you plan to attend, we warmly invite you to join our sessions on February 24 and reach out to schedule a meeting with the AlixLabs team.

Footnote:

The Si structures are patterned by Canon Inc.’s nanoimprint lithography (NIL) ↩︎

November 18, 2025

AlixLabs Attracts €14,1 Million Series A, Adding Global Brain and Key Institutional Investors to Fuel International Growth

Funding will accelerate APS™ beta testing and scale-up toward advanced semiconductor manufacturing by 2027.

Lund, Sweden – November 18, 2025 – AlixLabs AB, a Swedish deep-tech company building a new generation of semiconductor manufacturing solutions, today announced the successful closing of a €14.1 million (SEK 155.2 million) Series A funding round. The investment will enable AlixLabs to accelerate development and scaling of its proprietary Atomic Layer Etching Pitch Splitting (APS™) technology – a disruptive process that enables more cost-effective leading-edge chip manufacturing.

The funding round was led by Navigare Ventures, Industrifonden, and FORWARD.one, all of whom are reaffirming their commitment as long-term partners to AlixLabs’ growth journey. STOAF from Sweden as well as Global Brain, an independent Japanese venture capital firm that manages strategic funds and invests in semiconductor startups, joined the round. This further strengthens AlixLabs’ international reach and industry partnerships. The proceeds will be used to expand the company’s R&D and production capacity in Lund and the Netherlands, deepen collaboration with foundry partners, and initiate industrial deployment of APS™.

“This Series A enables us to transform our APS™ innovation from customer validation to industrial adoption,” said Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs. “We’re now entering an exciting phase where our focus turns toward beta testing with leading customers – a critical step on the path to full-scale manufacturing by 2027. Our technology has the potential to dramatically lower both energy use and costs per wafer, helping to make advanced semiconductor production more accessible.”

Investors Reaffirm Long-Term Commitment

“We’ve believed in AlixLabs’ vision from the start. Their technology tackles a critical bottleneck in semiconductor scaling and opens a path to more cost-efficient advanced chip manufacturing,” said Alex Basu, Chief Investment Officer at Navigare Ventures. “We’re excited to see APS™ validated with real customers – the next phase is all about bringing it onto the fab floor.”

“AlixLabs is a clear example of world-class innovation emerging from Sweden’s deep-tech ecosystem,” said Tobias Elmquist, Senior Investment Director at Industrifonden. “Their APS™ technology could fundamentally reshape the economics of advanced chipmaking while contributing to the industry’s sustainability goals.”

“We’re thrilled to continue supporting AlixLabs as they further progress to commercialization,” added Arjan Göbel, Partner at FORWARD.one. “With beta testing underway and manufacturing planned by 2027, AlixLabs is entering the most exciting chapter yet in its journey.”

A Sustainable Path for the Semiconductor Industry

The global semiconductor industry faces rising capital intensity, soaring energy demands, and an urgent need to decarbonize production. AlixLabs’ APS™ platform offers a powerful new approach – enabling ultra-fine pitch splitting through atomic-scale precision etching, without the need for prohibitively expensive multi-patterning or exclusive reliance on EUV lithography. The result is lower process complexity, reduced power consumption, and smaller environmental footprint per wafer.

With its Series A funding secured, AlixLabs will accelerate APS™ beta testing with key customers starting 2026, targeting early manufacturing implementation by 2027.

November 4, 2025

AlixLabs Installs Brooks Automation Platform to Power Its 300 mm APS™ Beta System

New automation platform paves way for fully automated, fab-ready solution for the company’s innovative, cost-effective and sustainable pitch splitting technology.

Lund, Sweden – November 4, 2025 – AlixLabs AB today announced the arrival and installation of the Brooks Automation Marathon 2™ LEAP platform and MagnaTran® LEAP™ vacuum robot, key components for the company’s upcoming APS™ 300 mm Beta platform. This milestone marks a major step toward full automation of AlixLabs’ Atomic Layer Etch Pitch Splitting (APS™) process technology and paves the way for 24/7 wafer processing and qualification with leading semiconductor manufacturers.

The Marathon 2™ Compact 500 provides a fully integrated, clean, and reliable front-end platform for 300 mm wafer handling. Designed to support both standard wafers and film frames, it is ideally suited for advanced front-end and packaging applications. Combined with the proven MagnaTran® LEAP™ vacuum robot, the platform ensures precise, particle-free wafer transfers, improving throughput, yield, and uptime. The system benefits from Brooks Automation’s extensive global install base, ensuring reliability and compatibility with leading-edge fabs worldwide.

Complementing the Brooks solution, Kontron AIS and its Tool Commander® software provide the automation backbone for AlixLabs’ APS platform. Tool Commander® offers a standardized and modular control architecture that enables seamless integration of process modules, robotics, and fab automation systems. Fully compliant with SECS/GEM and EDA standards, it supports Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing, allowing AlixLabs to deliver a fully automated, fab-ready solution.

Why It Matters

With this installation, AlixLabs is now equipped to qualify APS™ and commence Beta testing with leading integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) and foundries. Test and product wafers can be processed in Lund and returned to customers for metrology and electrical verification, validating APS™ performance in real manufacturing environments.

This new fully automated platform enables round-the-clock operation and significantly cleaner wafer handling, representing a major leap forward from AlixLabs’ earlier semi-automated system. As a result, the company will double its demonstration capacity and strengthen its position as a solution provider ready to commercialize APS™ into the global semiconductor market.

Comments

“This milestone marks a critical step in transforming APS™ from a research innovation into a production-ready technology,” said Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs. “By combining Brooks’ industry-proven wafer handling with Kontron AIS automation, we are now positioned to demonstrate APS™ at full 300 mm scale – enabling our customers to validate the technology in conditions that match their own fabs.”

What’s Next

In the second half of 2026, AlixLabs plans to install additional APS™ chambers featuring a completely new design optimized for high-volume manufacturing (HVM) on the Brooks Automation platform.

Additional Pictures

October 20, 2025

AlixLabs Wins Top Honors at the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge

We are proud to announce that our innovative APS™ (Atomic Layer Etch Pitch Splitting) technology has been recognized with top honors at the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge, standing out among more than 150 international startups.

The award ceremony took place at the Taipei World Trade Center, where our team was represented by Amin Karimi, Robin Athle, and Bert Sie. This recognition highlights the growing international attention our work with APS™ is receiving across the semiconductor industry.

APS™ is being developed to make leading-edge logic manufacturing more affordable and accessible, addressing one of the industry’s most critical challenges. As Taiwan remains a global hub for advanced semiconductor production, this acknowledgment is especially meaningful to us.

We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone contributing to this achievement — both our dedicated team at the AlixLabs headquarters in Lund, Sweden, and the organizers at the Taiwan Computer Association.

October 16, 2025

AlixLabs presents HAR narrow-fin patterning at ECS 248

AlixLabs is pleased to announce that Dr. Dmitry Suyatin, CIPO and Co-Founder, has presented the company’s latest advances in APS™ (Atomic Layer Etching Pitch Splitting) at the 248th Electrochemical Society (ECS) Meeting held in Chicago, October 12–16, 2025.

During the session, Dr. Suyatin highlighted new experimental results demonstrating high-aspect-ratio (HAR), narrow-fin patterning on bulk silicon achieved using conventional immersion lithography at a 193-nanometer wavelength. These results further confirm the viability of APS™ as an innovative method for extending fine-pitch patterning capabilities using existing lithography infrastructure.

By enabling advanced logic patterning without the need for next-generation scanners, APS™ offers a significant opportunity to reduce process complexity and cost, paving the way for broader access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing technologies.

“These new APS™ results – demonstrating high-aspect-ratio narrow-fin (CD < 10 nm) patterning on bulk silicon – go hand in hand with our recent patent successes,” said Dmitry Suyatin, CIPO and Co-Founder of AlixLabs. “Together, they validate APS™ as both a technically sound and strategically protected innovation in semiconductor manufacturing. As we prepare to install our beta tool that will become operational in fall 2026, we’re excited to take APS™ from lab-scale to production-grade refinement. Each step brings us closer to making advanced logic manufacturing simpler, more accessible, and more cost-efficient for the global industry.”

The advances presented at ECS reflect AlixLabs’ long-term mission to lower the threshold to advanced logic production, supporting a more sustainable, affordable, and globally accessible semiconductor ecosystem.

This research has been led by Dr. Dmitry Suyatin and Dr. Intu Sharma, whose work continues to push the boundaries of patterning innovation.

October 7, 2025

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

Lund, Sweden – October 7, 2025 – AlixLabs, a pioneering Swedish semiconductor equipment startup, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for the continuation of its internally named “Tetris” patent. The new patent strengthens and broadens AlixLabs’ intellectual property portfolio, covering key innovations in selective side wall masking technology that integrate self-aligned double patterning (SADP) with the company’s proprietary Atomic Layer Etching-based Pitch Splitting (APS™) process.

The continued development of next generation APS™ processes goes hand in hand with the company’s 300 mm platform with which it will engage in beta testing with leading IDMs & foundries. Activities such as these and a fortified IP portfolio further strengthens AlixLabs’ position as a leader in next-generation semiconductor manufacturing process technology for the Ångström Era.

Game-Changing Innovation for the Semiconductor Industry

The invention arose from AlixLabs’ work on precise sidewall angle control in APS™, a critical aspect of advanced silicon processes. By combining classical SADP techniques with advanced APS™ methods, AlixLabs has developed a process that enhances topographical selectivity, cyclic process control, and overall performance.

The breakthrough enables semiconductor manufacturers to:

Address patterning challenges at for DRAM and sub-7 nm logic nodes without using EUV lithography.
Cut costs for fabless logic and memory chip manufacturing for AI, high bandwidth memory (HBM) and high-performance computing (HPC).
Integrate APS™ technology into existing semiconductor production workflows while preserving compatibility with existing Process Design Kits (PDKs).
Reduce capital and operational expenditure, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions at advanced technology nodes.

This new next generation APS™ process significantly lowers the barriers for adoption in high-volume manufacturing (HVM), offering manufacturers a flexible, cost-effective, and sustainable path forward.

Executive Statement

“This allowance is a major milestone for AlixLabs,” said Dmitry Suyatin, CIPO and Co-Founder of AlixLabs. “It validates our unique approach of merging classical and advanced techniques into a solution that is both practical and transformative for the semiconductor industry. With this patent, we not only strengthen our IP portfolio but also provide our customers with a pathway to more efficient and sustainable chip manufacturing at a lower cost.”

Next Steps

The patent is expected to be formally granted within the next one to three months following standard administrative steps. The patents that are part of the APS™ process will be used for customer demos in 2026 with AlixLabs’ APS™ beta cluster tool that is currently in design and manufacturing.

August 28, 2025

AlixLabs Chosen as a Winner in IC Taiwan Grand Challenge

Lund, Sweden – August 28th, 2025 – AlixLabs has been selected as a winning entrant from the third batch of the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge, an international competition that recognizes groundbreaking innovations in semiconductor and related technologies.

Out of a highly competitive global field, AlixLabs was selected for its Atomic Layer Etch Pitch Splitting (APS™) technology – a breakthrough equipment solution designed to enable advanced semiconductor manufacturing. This recognition highlights AlixLabs’ role in addressing critical challenges in next-generation chip production, particularly as the industry pushes toward ever-smaller nodes, increasing the need for more energy-efficient solutions.

The IC Taiwan Grand Challenge, organized by Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), brings together leading technology companies and research-driven startups from around the world. The program is designed to foster international collaboration, accelerate cutting-edge innovation, and strengthen the global semiconductor ecosystem.

“We are honored that the NSTC and the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge jury has deemed AlixLabs and APS™ a winning entry from the pool of 150 participants. This recognition of our technology underlines our belief that it can transform leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing and there is no better place to do this than in Taiwan,” comments Amin Karimi, COO and R&D Manager at AlixLabs.

AlixLabs joins a distinguished group of finalists from across the United States, Taiwan, South Korea and Denmark, with the final ceremony held on October 18th 13:00–14:30 (CST, GMT+8) at The Taiwan Innotech Expo.

August 11, 2025

AlixLabs Named to EE Times Silicon 100 for Third Year in a Row

For the third consecutive year, AlixLabs has been recognized on the EE Times Silicon 100 list, cementing our place among the world’s most innovative semiconductor startups. We’re proud to represent Sweden as the sole company featured in this year’s edition.

The Silicon 100 is an annual ranking spotlighting breakthrough companies that are driving the future of chip technology. Notably, Europe’s presence on the list continues to grow — with 29 startups included in 2025, up from 23 in 2024 and 18 in 2023.

“This recognition is a reflection of our team’s dedication to innovation and our mission to push semiconductor manufacturing into new frontiers,” said Jonas Sundqvist, CEO at AlixLabs. “Being part of the Silicon 100 yet again is both an honor and a responsibility to keep challenging the limits of what’s possible.”

You can explore the full Silicon 100 list on EE Times to see the global community of innovators shaping the semiconductor industry’s future.