Samsung, Intel Capital and Applied Materials fund Inpria to develop advanced semiconductor materials

Inpria Corporation announced today that it has received $4.7M of a committed $7.3M financing. The round was led by Samsung Venture Investment Corporation, the global investment arm of the Samsung Group, along with significant participation from Intel Capital, Intel’s global investment and M&A organization. Existing investor Applied Ventures, the venture capital arm of Applied Materials, Inc., also participated in the equity financing.

Inpria is commercializing a portfolio of photo-condensed molecular oxides – chemical materials designed to extend Moore’s Law, the drumbeat that has characterized progress in the semiconductor industry for almost 50 years. With a focus on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, Inpria’s patented inorganic photoresists provide nanoscale imaging below 20nm to enable ever-shrinking electronic devices. The company’s portfolio also includes materials for other emerging semiconductor patterning technologies.

Inpria has already set records in resolution, linewidth roughness (LWR) and etch selectivity, all key metrics for fabrication of next-generation semiconductor devices. “By imaging 8-nm lines and spaces with 1.5-nm LWR in a robust patternable oxide, we have established a new standard for advanced photoresist towards near-term industry requirements,” said Andrew Grenville, President and CEO of Inpria Corporation. “This financing enables us to expand our team, accelerate product development, and is a promising step in commercializing our technology on a large scale.”

“Inpria is spearheading the development of a brand new approach to lithography photoresist materials,” said Dong-Su Kim, Vice President at Samsung Venture Investment Corporation. “We look forward to Inpria completing their EUV photoresist product development.”

“Our industry needs materials innovation to continue to deliver the benefits of Moore’s Law to consumers,” added Sean Doyle, director at Intel Capital. “We’re excited by Inpria’s approach to driving improvements in performance and efficiency for manufacturing semiconductor devices on the leading edge of process technology.”

“Applied Ventures invests in companies that aim to push the semiconductor industry beyond the cutting edge, and with technologies that complement Applied Materials’ expertise in precision materials engineering,” said Eileen Tanghal, General Manager of Applied Ventures. “We believe Inpria’s novel electronic materials could potentially drive significant improvements in the semiconductor industry.”

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