Atom Beam Lithography Startup Lace Raises $40M Series A to Challenge EUV Limits in Semiconductor Manufacturing

Bergen, Norway-based Lace Lithography AS has secured $40 million in Series A funding to advance its helium atom beam lithography technology, which the company positions as an alternative to current extreme ultraviolet (EUV) systems for producing smaller and more advanced semiconductor chips. The round was led by Atomico and included participation from M12, Microsoft's Venture Fund, Linse Capital, Vsquared Ventures, Future Ventures, Runa Capital, Deep Future, SETT Spain, and Nysnø Climate Investments. This brings Lace's total funding to over $60 million since its founding in July 2023.

Lace specializes in advanced lithography solutions, including high-precision patterning and mask making, with a focus on enabling smaller process nodes and higher yields for global semiconductor partners. The company states its mission is to support the next 100 years of chip production.

Unlike conventional EUV lithography, which relies on 13.5 nm wavelength light passed through mirrors and masks, Lace's approach uses a beam of helium atoms for direct, maskless patterning. The helium beam has a width of approximately 0.1 nanometer  comparable to the size of a single hydrogen atom — compared to the 13.5 nm light beam used in ASML systems. The company claims this method can achieve resolutions 10 times smaller than today's best EUV systems, potentially support...