70亿！光刻机新晋独角兽诞生，挑战ASML，还要建晶圆厂

Core Insights - Substrate, a new US chip equipment startup, has emerged as a unicorn with a valuation exceeding $1 billion after securing $100 million in seed funding, aiming to challenge semiconductor giants ASML and TSMC [3][6] - The company has developed an advanced X-ray lithography technology that produces a narrower beam using particle accelerators, claiming to solve significant challenges in the lithography field and achieve resolutions comparable to ASML's High-NA EUV machines at the 2nm semiconductor node [3][5] Company Overview - Substrate's technology utilizes particle accelerators to generate extremely bright beams, enabling the production of advanced semiconductor chips with critical dimensions of 12nm and contact pitch of 13nm [5] - The company aims to reduce the cost of top-tier silicon wafers significantly, projecting a wafer cost of around $10,000 by 2030, compared to the current $100,000 [5] Leadership and Vision - CEO James Proud emphasizes the need for a new, vertically integrated foundry model in the US to regain leadership in semiconductor production, with plans to build a custom semiconductor foundry network by 2028 [7][9] - The company has assembled a team of approximately 50 members, including experts from IBM, TSMC, Google, and national laboratories, to drive its innovative technology [11] Market Position and Challenges - Substrate's ambition to disrupt the semiconductor manufacturing process faces skepticism from industry experts, who question the feasibility of a startup replicating the complex and capital-intensive semiconductor supply chain [12] - Proud remains confident in the company's vision, arguing that historical precedents show that such ambitious goals can be achieved despite prevailing doubts [12]