News: Suppliers
15 April 2026
AlixLabs and VDL ETG Projects announce MoU for industrialization of APS patterning
To advance the production of its APS (Atomic Pitch Splitting) equipment, Sweden-based semiconductor equipment maker AlixLabs AB (which was spun off from Lund University in 2019, specializing in atomic layer epitaxy) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with VDL ETG Projects (part of VDL Groep of Eindhoven, The Netherlands).
VDL ETG Projects supports companies in the transition from the feasibility to the design, engineering and realization of their equipment, scaling up the equipment manufacturing from first-of-a-kind units to batch manufacturing, and further to turnkey realization of complex production lines.
The agreement marks a step toward industrializing AlixLabs’ APS technology, enabling scalable manufacturing solutions for advanced semiconductor patterning.
APS is designed to address critical challenges in next-generation semiconductor fabrication by enabling precise pitch splitting through atomic layer etching. This approach offers a cost-efficient and energy-conscious alternative to increasingly complex multi-patterning and EUV-based lithography.
Under the MoU, VDL ETG Projects will play a key role in developing and manufacturing the industrial APS tools, leveraging its expertise in system integration and high-tech equipment manufacturing. The collaboration aims to transition APS from advanced R&D into robust, production-ready systems for semiconductor fabs.
“This MoU represents an important milestone for AlixLabs as we move from technology validation toward industrial deployment,” says AlixLabs’ CEO Jonas Sundqvist. “Partnering with VDL ETG Projects strengthens our ability to scale APS and bring a new patterning paradigm to the semiconductor industry. Their industrialization capabilities are a strong complement to our process innovation,” he adds.
“The implementation of AlixLabs’ research in the manufacturing processes for advanced semiconductor devices will contribute to overall cost reductions and increased production speeds,” comments Sorin Stan, senior director for Emerging Technologies at VDL ETG Projects. “The industrialization of the first-of-a-kind APS equipment currently under development for AlixLabs will play an essential role in fulfilling the next-node strategies at many of their customers.”
The partnership reflects a shared ambition to accelerate the adoption of innovative patterning technologies and support the semiconductor industry’s need for sustainable scaling.
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