Singapore's Nexstrom aims to bring 2D semiconductors into chip factories
Singapore startup Nexstrom has raised $12 million to develop technology for growing ultra-thin 2D material semiconductors directly on 300mm silicon wafers used in chip manufacturing.
For decades, chipmakers boosted performance by shrinking silicon transistors and cramming more onto each chip. But smaller transistors make controlling electron flow harder, worsening problems like current leakage, power loss and heat buildup.
Singapore-based startup Nexstrom, incubated by Xora Innovation, believes replacing silicon with two-dimensional (2D) materials could help solve this. The company is developing equipment and processes that would let chip foundries manufacture extremely thin semiconductors — known as transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) — directly on wafers.
TMDs aren't truly two-dimensional, but they're thin enough — just a few atomic layers — to be grouped with the broader family of "2D materials." This thinness has drawn interest from manufacturers looking for new ways to shrink chips further.
Nexstrom's product, called North Star, is designed to grow TMDs directly on 300mm (12-inch) wafers, the standard size used in commercial chip production. The company isn't alone in pursuing this approach — TSMC, Intel and Belgium's IMEC are all working on integrating 2D materials into transistors, while equipment and materials firms such as AIXTRON and CDimension are tackling other parts of the manufacturing chain.
Nexstrom, however, is focusing on one of the toughest challenges: producing these materials at industrial scale. Its technology draws on research by co-founder and chief scientist Lance Li, who previously led post-silicon electronics research at TSMC and has worked on 2D materials since 2012.
On Tuesday, the company announced it had raised a $12 million seed round from investors including Xora, Foothill Ventures and SEEDS, bringing its total funding to $15 million. Rather than competing with giants like TSMC, Samsung and Intel, Nexstrom wants to sell its technology to them or partner with them — some industry players are reportedly already testing samples of its wafers and materials, though the company declined to name them.
CEO Phoebe Tan said the company has proven material results on a newly installed 12-inch system and plans to complete testing at the 8-inch scale by the end of October. The new funding will go toward improving process control, expanding the team, and supporting qualification programs with potential customers. Nexstrom expects its equipment to be ready for commercial production sometime between 2030 and 2035.
