Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger wants to revive Moore's law using light
ASML
NVIDIA
Groq
Cerebras Systems
After leaving Intel, Pat Gelsinger became a partner at venture firm Playground Capital, which invests in deep technology. He is betting on startups in the field of lithography to overcome the physical limitations of semiconductors and revive Moore's law. Gelsinger believes that the key to progress lies in improving light sources for lithography and supports the company xLight.
Pat Gelsinger, who left his role as CEO of Intel at the end of 2024, held 100 meetings in 100 days to decide on his future. In March, he became a general partner at Playground Capital, a venture capital firm specializing in deep tech. His goal is to help a new generation of semiconductor startups revive Moore's Law, which predicted the doubling of transistors every two years. As further shrinking of atomic transistors has become extremely expensive and complex, Gelsinger is betting on progress in lithography—etching chips using nanometer-scale light beams. The leader in this field is the Dutch company ASML, which uses light with a wavelength of 13.5 nanometers. Gelsinger has joined the board of portfolio company xLight, which is developing new lithography methods and has received investments from the U.S. government. He believes a breakthrough could come from using free-electron lasers to produce light with wavelengths of 2–5 nanometers. Gelsinger also highlighted the importance of innovations in memory and power supply, mentioning companies such as d-Matrix, Fractile, Cerebras, and Alva Energy. He supports strict export controls on chips and believes AI models should undergo rigorous testing to ensure safety and align with values.
Source: Wired AI —
original