Photo electron Soul

Photo electron Soul (PeS), a startup spun out of Nagoya University in 2015, is positioned at the forefront of semiconductor inspection technology. The company was established based on more than three decades of dedicated research and development conducted at the university. At the helm are CEO Takayuki Suzuki, Ph.D., and CTO Tomohiro Nishitani, Ph.D., who lead the company's mission to revolutionize the semiconductor manufacturing process.

The core of PeS's business is the manufacture and sale of photocathode e-beam systems, a critical component for semiconductor inspection tools. The company stands as the only entity in the world to have successfully industrialized and supplied this technology. Its primary clients are semiconductor device manufacturers and inspection tool suppliers. The business model involves direct sales and strategic partnerships, highlighted by a sole-distributorship agreement with USHIO INC., which leverages USHIO's extensive global sales and service network to market the systems.

PeS's flagship product addresses a significant bottleneck in semiconductor fabrication: the speed and accuracy of e-beam inspection. The company's semiconductor photocathode e-beam generation system offers a substantial performance leap, claiming to boost inspection throughput by a factor of ten or more compared to conventional e-beam technologies. A key feature is its ability to generate a brighter electron beam with extremely low energy dispersion. This allows for faster scanning without compromising precision. Furthermore, PeS has developed a proprietary technology called Selective e-Beaming (SeB), which enables pixel-level control of the electron beam. This capability reduces potential damage to the semiconductor sample during inspection and allows for the non-contact testing of transistors on a chip. The system can also detect particles in deep, high-aspect-ratio holes, a critical need as chip designs become more complex. To fuel its growth and product development, the company has secured significant financing, including a JPY 730 million round in September 2023.

Keywords: semiconductor inspection, e-beam systems, photocathode technology, Nagoya University startup, Takayuki Suzuki, wafer inspection, selective e-beaming, semiconductor manufacturing, deep tech, inspection throughput, non-contact testing, transistor testing, particle detection, electron beam generation, semiconductor metrology, USHIO partnership, high-brightness electron source, chip manufacturing, electronic devices, advanced materials, industrial technology