VDL ETG Projects is collaborating with Swedish startup Alixlabs to develop a first-of-a-kind tool for atomic pitch splitting, a novel semiconductor patterning technique that could reduce reliance on EUV lithography. The machine is currently nearing final release, with initial deliveries planned this year, VDL ETG Projects’ senior director for emerging technologies and business development, Sorin Stan, announced at the ALD for Industry conference in Eindhoven this week. The partnership marks the first time both companies have publicly acknowledged their collaboration.
VDL ETG Projects, part of the broader VDL Groep, specializes in designing and building first-of-a-kind equipment for emerging technologies. Unlike its volume manufacturing units, the business unit focuses on translating startup processes into scalable industrial systems. It typically works closely with customers from early-stage process maturity through to market introduction, producing initial tools and subsequent series.
The collaboration with Alixlabs centers on atomic pitch splitting, or APS, a multi-patterning technique derived from atomic layer etching. APS enables the doubling or even quadrupling of feature density without additional lithography steps, offering a potential alternative to costly EUV-based scaling. The process builds on precise, layer-by-layer material removal, allowing high control and reduced defectivity compared to conventional multi-patterning approaches. By simplifying process flows, Alixlabs promises APS will lower capital expenditure, shorten cycle times and improve throughput.
