ASML spin-off raises €20 million for chip inspection

The Eindhoven-based startup Invisix has raised 20 million euros for a new technology that allows chips to be inspected with much greater precision. The company aims to address a growing problem in the chip industry: minuscule defects that are barely detectable with current measurement equipment.

The investment round was led by parties such as Hitachi Ventures, imec.xpand, and imec. A major chip manufacturer also participated in the investment. According to earlier reports, Samsung is reportedly interested in the technology for its future 2-nanometer chips.

Preventing millions in losses

The chip industry is facing a fundamental problem. Modern chips consist of extremely small and complex 3D structures that are becoming increasingly difficult to inspect using traditional optical measurement methods. As a result, defects are sometimes only discovered after wafers have already been processed, which can result in millions in losses.

Invisix therefore uses soft X-rays instead of conventional light. Thanks to this much shorter wavelength, structures that remain hidden from existing systems can be made visible. The company combines this technique with reconstruction algorithms and machine learning to create a detailed 3D image of chips.

Research at ASML

The technology is based on more than a decade of research at ASML. The startup has licensed a significant portion of that knowledge from the Veldhoven-based chip equipment company. It is led by former ASML employees Christina Porter and Sietse van der Post.

Building the first production system

With the new capital, Invisix aims to build its first production system and expand its team. The first demonstrations for customers are set to take place from a new cleanroom in Eindhoven. The technology focuses primarily on the latest generation of AI chips, where the pressure to reduce production errors is growing.