News: Suppliers
12 May 2025
AlixLabs secures US patent for formation of nanostructure array
Sweden-based AlixLabs AB (which was spun off from Lund University in 2019) says that the US Patent and Trademark Office has issued the notice of allowance for its latest patent application, US20250087487A1 ‘Formation of an array of nanostructures’.
Internally referred to as the ‘Tetris’ patent in honor of Alexey Pajitnov, the new patent integrates self-aligned double patterning (SADP) with atomic layer etching (ALE)-based pitch splitting (APS) technology. This approach, industrialized by AlixLabs since its founding in 2019, combines elements of both classical and leading-edge techniques to deliver what is claimed to be superior performance for semiconductor manufacturing.
The invention arose from AlixLabs’ efforts to develop a process for precise sidewall angle control in APS, a key component in silicon-based processes. By leveraging plasma etch process selectivity and combining features from complex plasma processes, AlixLabs has pioneered a method that blends the traditional SADP process with the advanced APS technology. This allows the firm to utilize mature industrial technologies while benefiting from the advanced control and improved performance of cyclic processes and topographical selectivity. As a result, AlixLabs’ solution offers enhanced ability to address the challenges of patterning at sub-5nm nodes.
This breakthrough is significant for the integration of APS technology into existing semiconductor production workflows, preserving the use of existing process design kits (PDKs). This should reduce the barrier for APS adoption in high-volume manufacturing (HVM), easing the transition to next-generation semiconductor technologies.
The patented innovation is said to provide greater flexibility, offering a new way of fine tuning the APS process for meeting the needs to cut capital expenditure and operational expenditure (CapEx and OpEx) as well as emissions for customers at advanced technology nodes, while allowing for broader compatibility with different materials. The new method further strengthens AlixLabs’ core APS patent portfolio, positioning the firm as an enabler of next-generation semiconductor manufacturing.
Moreover, the invention is said to not only support the development of leading-edge logic, memory and photonics but also simplify the semiconductor manufacturing process by reducing CapEx and OpEx for semiconductor fabs.
“We remain committed to advancing semiconductor manufacturing with innovations that significantly enhance the precision, flexibility and efficiency of our technologies,” comments co-founder & chief technology officer Dmitry Suyatin. “This patent represents a critical step forward in our mission to drive the next generation of semiconductor processes.”
AlixLabs showcasing latest APS findings at SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning
AlixLabs collaborates with Linköping University
AlixLabs debuting 300mm APS wafer processing equipment at SEMICON Japan
EU Intellectual Property Office grants trademark registration for AlixLabs’ APS process
