by xLightUS
Compact FEL producing EUV at 2nm for lithography. Uses accelerator + undulator instead of ASML's tin-plasma, aiming for 1nm+ printing.
Prototype construction planned at Albany Nanotech; first demonstration expected 2028.
Updated 2 Jun 2026Checked 10 Oct0 updates this week
A radiofrequency (RF) cavity accelerates electrons to near light-speed, reaching energies of several hundred MeV.
Accelerated electrons pass through a magnetic undulator that forces them into a wiggling path, emitting coherent EUV photons at the designed wavelength.
Mirrors and optics (all reflective, since glass absorbs EUV) collect and focus the beam onto masks and wafers in the lithography tool.
| Spec | Free-Electron Laser EUV Source |
|---|---|
| EUV wavelength | 2 nmR (reported) |
| Efficiency vs tin-plasma | 10× betterR (reported) |
| System footprint | ~100m × 50m (football field)R (reported) |
R reported by the company
xLight
Free-electron laser EUV, lithography, particle accelerator
xLight builds free-electron lasers for EUV lithography to replace ASML's tin-plasma sources. Founded 2021 in Palo Alto; backed by Pat Gelsinger (former Intel CEO) and $150M US federal funding.
