US startup Substrate takes aim at ASML
A California startup called Substrate raised $100 million to build lithography machines that compete with Dutch manufacturer ASML. The company reached a $1 billion valuation by proposing equipment that uses X-rays from particle accelerators rather than extreme ultraviolet light to print chip patterns.
Substrate claims its approach cuts costs compared with ASML systems. The firm demonstrated its technology to reporters, earning praise from industry specialists for the technical achievement. The method relies on X-rays with wavelengths shorter than the 13.5 nanometers used in extreme ultraviolet systems.
Success depends on whether Substrate adapts its process for the mass production of semiconductors. Investors backing the venture are Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund and other technology financiers. The United States depends entirely on foreign suppliers for advanced chipmaking equipment, creating interest in domestic alternatives to ASML technology.
