Key facts
- Nexstrom is developing equipment and processes to manufacture 2D semiconductors, specifically transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), on 300mm wafers.
- The company's product, North Star, is designed for growing TMDs directly on commercial chipmaking wafers.
- Nexstrom aims to address the challenge of scaling the production of high-quality 2D materials for semiconductor manufacturing.
- The startup has raised $12 million in seed funding from investors including Xora, Foothill Ventures, and SEEDS.
- Nexstrom plans to use the funding to further develop its technology, improve process control, expand its team, and support customer qualification programs.
- The company expects its equipment to be ready for commercial production between 2030 and 2035.
Nexstrom, a Singapore-based semiconductor startup incubated by Xora Innovation, is developing technology to enable the large-scale manufacturing of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors for use in future chip designs. The company's product, North Star, is designed to grow transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) directly on 300mm wafers, which are standard in commercial chipmaking.
For decades, the semiconductor industry has relied on shrinking silicon transistors to improve chip performance, but this approach faces physical limitations. Nexstrom believes that using ultra-thin 2D materials, which are only a few atomic layers thick, offers a path to further miniaturization and improved electron flow control, potentially mitigating issues like leakage and power loss.
Nexstrom's co-founder and chief scientist, Lance Li, who has researched post-silicon electronics and 2D materials since 2012, stated that the company aims to bridge the gap between lab-scale material production and industrial-scale manufacturing. The startup has successfully scaled its technology from 2-inch to 6-inch wafers and is working towards 8-inch capabilities, with its 12-inch system now installed.
Other industry players, including TSMC, Intel, and IMEC, are also exploring the integration of 2D materials into transistors. Nexstrom, however, is focusing on the difficult aspect of scalable production. The company has secured $12 million in seed funding, bringing its total raised to $15 million, with plans to use the capital for technology development, process control improvements, team expansion, and customer qualification programs. Nexstrom intends to partner with or sell its technology to major chipmakers, with some industry companies already testing its materials. Commercial production is anticipated between 2030 and 2035.