Silicon Valley-based xLight, a company equipping the national security sector with lithography solutions, signed a letter of intent with the U.S. Department of Commerce for up to $150 million in federal incentives under the CHIPS and Science Act. The deal would grant the government an equity stake that could make it xLight’s largest shareholder, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal.
This marks the first award from the Trump Administration’s CHIPS Research and Development Office in an effort to refortify domestic semiconductor manufacturing. Founded in 2021, xLight specializes in developing free-electron lasers for extreme ultraviolet lithography, a key process in making computer chips. The lasers engrave complex patterns onto silicon wafers, creating more room for circuitry on each chip. The company’s goal is to replace the current industry standard laser-produced plasma source as it nears its physical limits.
“With the support from Commerce, our investors and development partners, xLight is building its first free-electron laser system at the Albany Nanotech Complex, where the world’s best lithography capabilities will enable the research and development that will define the future of chip manufacturing,” Nicholas Kelez, CEO and CTO of xLight, said in a statement.
The company will work with the Department of Commerce and partners across the Albany Nanotech Complex in the coming months.
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