Champaign, United States
Cygnus Photonics is a startup specializing in vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoprocessing and photolithographic tools for industrial and research applications. Founded in 2018, the company is committed to delivering precision UV and VUV photolithographic systems and exposure tools to electronic, photonic, and biomedical device and system manufacturers, as well as the research and educational communities.
The company has achieved several breakthroughs in UV/VUV source technology, leading to a new level of performance in photolithography while significantly reducing the system cost-of-ownership compared to conventional UV exposure tools. Cygnus systems are based on flat, efficient deep-UV and VUV lamps developed over the past decade, offering exceptional value through their efficiency and power. These ultrathin lamps can be "tiled" to produce uniform irradiation of a surface over areas up to 1 m^2.
Cygnus offers modular exposure tools capable of processing wafers up to 8 inches in diameter, with a 300 mm system currently under development. The company also provides smaller systems, such as the π-Photon, designed specifically as compact and affordable solutions for industrial research groups and university laboratories.
The rising cost of photolithography systems over the past two decades has restricted access to state-of-the-art technology. Cygnus Photonics aims to address this issue by offering high-performance VUV/UV exposure and patterning tools priced for researchers and educators. Currently, Cygnus Photonics products are in use in manufacturing and testing facilities, as well as industrial and university research laboratories in Europe, Asia, and the USA.