US-based startup Inpria, which develops next-generation EUV lithography technology, has secured Series C investment worth USD 31 million, according to the company on Feb. 20.
The round was led by Japan’s JSR, which had previously invested in Inpria. Korea’s SK hynix and Taiwan’s TSMC Partners also joined along with others who had already been on board, such as Air Liquide Venture Capital, Applied Ventures, Intel Capital and Samsung Venture Investment.
Mark Slezak, the head of JSR Micro and one of the newest members of the board at Inpria said that the firm is the world’s leader in the industry, and that he welcomes the collaboration.
Inpria Chief Executive Officer Andrew Grenville noted that the world’s top semiconductor makers that apply EUV technology have all joined as investors, indicating the significance of Inpria technology.
Inpria calls itself the world’s first to purpose-build a photoresist for EUV lithography. And unlike conventional companies like Dow Chemical and JSR, Inpria’s products are based on inorganic chemistry. This is because traditional resist molecules were getting too big relative to the feature sizes they need to pattern. The core molecules in Inpria’s tin oxide, on the other hand, are about one-fifth in size, according to Grenville.
Inpria was established in 2007 from the chemical lab of US Oregan State University. In 2014, Samsung Venture Investment invested in the firm, along with Intel and Applied Materials. Samsung made additional investments in 2017. From Japan, PR companies TOK and JSR joined.
With the funding it received in 2017, Inpria built testing facilities to begin producing in small volumes. The latest investment is likely to go towards increasing that supply, and possibly building production facilities in Korea.
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