Jim Keller's Atomic Semi Rebrands as Fab2, Builds Factory That Makes Chip Fabs
Fab2 is pursuing a decentralized alternative to the semiconductor industry's giant-factory model by manufacturing complete, replicable small fabs from scratch.
Reporting from 1 source: GIGAZINE.
Atomic Semi, the hardware startup co-founded by chip engineer Jim Keller and DIY fabricator Sam Zeloof, has changed its name to Fab2 and is building a facility in Texas that mass-produces small semiconductor manufacturing plants and their internal equipment. The company aims to produce prototype chips in hours using software-defined small fabs.
Atomic Semi, the startup co-founded by chip architect Jim Keller and self-taught fabricator Sam Zeloof, has renamed itself Fab2 and begun constructing what it calls a "fab fab"-a factory whose output is entire small semiconductor manufacturing plants. The company has moved its base to Texas, with facilities in Austin and Lockhart, and is manufacturing pumps, valves, sensors, and control boards in-house rather than sourcing them from existing suppliers.
Fab2's small fabs process chips smaller than standard 300mm wafers and use electron beam lithography, which writes patterns directly without masks. The method is slower than extreme ultraviolet exposure tools, so the company positions itself for rapid prototyping and low-volume production rather than competing with leading-edge foundries. Fab2 is also developing a browser-based EDA tool called Studio that handles layout, schematics, and simulation.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.