Esol

About Esol

Positioned within the highly specialized semiconductor sector, Esol, Inc. operates as a key South Korean developer and manufacturer of Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment. The company was founded in January 2018 by CEO Kim Byung-gook, who brings over two decades of experience from the Samsung Electronics Semiconductor Research Center. He is joined by a team of experts in the field, including CTO Lee Dong-geun. Esol functions as a subsidiary of FST (Fine Semitech Corp.), a pellicle manufacturer that holds a majority stake in the company.

Esol’s business model is centered on designing, producing, and selling advanced measurement and inspection equipment crucial for the EUV semiconductor manufacturing process, a market segment with high entry barriers. The company serves major chipmakers and material developers by providing cost-effective alternatives to equipment from established global players like Carl Zeiss and Lasertec. Revenue is generated through the sale of its specialized machinery, with products like the EUV mask review machine and EUV pellicle transmittance inspection machine already contributing to its income. To fuel its growth and research, Esol has successfully secured significant funding, including a KRW 74 billion Series B round in mid-2025.

The company has developed a portfolio of sophisticated products. Its flagship offerings include the SREM (Scanning Reflection EUV Microscope), a system for EUV mask defect review and aerial image analysis. Another key product is the EPTR, an EUV pellicle transmittance inspection equipment launched in 2021. Esol also developed the world's first EUV mask phase measurement system (Ephase) for Phase Shift Mask (PSM) verification, targeting nodes below 5nm. Furthermore, its EMiLE (EUV Micro-interference Lithography Equipment) allows for the testing and development of EUV photoresists at a fraction of the cost of a full EUV lithography system. A significant milestone is the in-house development of its own EUV light source, making it the fourth company globally to achieve this, which is critical for vertical integration and supply chain stability.