A novel ultrashort-pulse laser is set to revolutionize semiconductor manufacturing: For this ambitious project, an international consortium led by Prof. Dr. Clara Saraceno, head of the Chair of Photonic and Ultrafast Laser Science at Ruhr University Bochum, and Dr. Celia Millon from the spin-off RayVen GmbH is receiving funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC) as part of the “Pathfinder” program. The program, which supports groundbreaking deep-tech projects, is one of the EU’s most competitive funding programs: only about two percent of all applications are successful. The consortium will receive 3 million euros over four years, starting in April 2026.
Cooperation partners
In addition to Ruhr University Bochum and the startup RayVen, the project involves the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) as well as the companies CRYTUR and LASEA.
The project is about developing a new type of laser to drill very small, deep holes in silicon, which is the main material used in computer chips. “These tiny holes — TSVs — are the hidden backbone of modern 3D chips," says Celia Millon. "Without them, layers simply can't talk to each other. The key question is: Can we use a new kind of ultrafast laser (at 2 µm in GHz-burst mode) to create better-quality holes in silicon than current industrial methods?“
The goal is to prove that this new laser approach can be an alternative or outperform existing techniques in the semiconductor manufacturing world such as Dry Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE), by making cleaner, faster, and more sustainable silicon structures.
More broadly, the project aims to open a new way of processing silicon that could improve the performance and energy efficiency of future electronics.
The project follows three main steps:
- Develop new laser systems operating at 2 µm, including a novel GHz-burst mode laser.
- Study how this laser interacts with silicon, to understand and control the process.
- Integrate the laser in a system to have a prototype of semiconductor equipment manufacturer.
A kick-off meeting of the project will take place at ZESS, Hans-Dobbertin-Str. 8, 44803 Bochum, on the 12th and 13th of May. All partners will be in attendance — an occasion to align on the project's objectives and milestones, as well as to visit the PULS at RUB and RayVen labs at ZESS.