Birmingham-based Irresistible Materials, which is developing a coating for the next generation of microchips, has raised £200,000 from Mercia Fund Managers (MFM) and a syndicate of US angels, after initially securing £460,000 from Innovate UK (
www.irresistiblematerials.com).
The company is developing a new photo-resist material that will allow the creation of smaller and lighter devices. This is used to coat silicon chips before the features are etched onto them by ultra-violet light — a process known as lithography, which creates the modern equivalent of wires.
Ultra-violet light with a wavelength of 193nm is currently used, but the introduction of a new industry standard in 2019 — known as extreme ultra-violet lithography and using a wavelength of 13.5nm — will enable smaller microchip features to be created.
Irresistible Materials is in the final stages of testing a new photo-resist coating that will enable chip manufacturers to meet the new standard; there is no other solution currently available on the market.
Founded in 2010 as a spin-out from the University of Birmingham, Irresistible Materials first received backing from MFM in 2013.
This latest funding will support the on-going development and commercialisation of photo-resist and the company’s carbon hard-mask material (another solution for semiconductor manufacturing).
Mark Volanthen at MFM said: “As consumers demand ever smaller and faster devices, the semiconductor industry is constantly seeking ways to reduce the size of microchips.
“Irresistible Materials’ products help chip manufacturers to meet these demands.
"With this latest investment and grant funding, the company is on target to bring new products to the market in time for the introduction of next-generation chips in 2019.”
David Ure, the founder of Irresistible Materials, said: “The next 18 months will be an exciting and critical window, as we re-orient our focus from R&D towards product development, and prepare our material for entry into the microchip production process.”