Making computer chips requires insanely clean water — even particles smaller than a virus can destroy them. Current purification systems can't catch the tiniest ones (below 20 nanometers), which the chip industry calls "killer particles." A Swedish company called XZERO built a system that strips these particles out completely, so chipmakers can produce smaller, more advanced chips without defects. As a bonus, the system recycles the water instead of dumping it, saving both water and the valuable chemicals dissolved in it.
Semiconductor manufacturers need ultrapure water to clean chip surfaces, but current purification systems cannot efficiently remove particles below 20 nanometers. These so-called killer particles cause short circuits in advanced chips, limiting how small and powerful devices can be made. The industry uses an estimated 2000 billion litres of ultrapure water per year, and existing systems waste both water and valuable dissolved chemicals.
XZERO built three physical systems: a 40 l/h pilot unit and two 400 l/h demonstrators, all tested at imec in Belgium. The final deliverable was a full-scale 400 l/h system designed to remove sub-20 nm particles and enable Zero Liquid Discharge — recovering water and chemicals instead of creating wastewater.
If you are a chip manufacturer losing yield to sub-20 nm particle contamination in your process water — this project developed a full-scale 400 l/h ultrapure water system proven to remove killer particles. It was tested at imec, one of Europe's leading nanoelectronics research centers, and enables further miniaturization of electronic devices while achieving Zero Liquid Discharge.
If you are a water system integrator looking to differentiate your offering in the nanoelectronics market — XZERO's technology removes sub-20 nm particles that current state-of-the-art systems cannot handle efficiently. The global consumption of ultrapure water in nanoelectronics is estimated at 2000 billion litres per year, and this add-on technology lets you capture a higher-value segment of that market.
If you are in the industrial wastewater business and your clients need to recover water and valuable minerals from process streams — this project built a system that enables Zero Liquid Discharge in nanoelectronics manufacturing. The technology reuses both water and dissolved chemicals, reducing environmental impact while extracting value from what was previously waste.
Specific pricing is not disclosed in the available project data. XZERO AB targets water system integrators and nanoelectronics manufacturers directly, suggesting a B2B equipment sale or licensing model. Given the system processes 400 litres per hour at full scale, pricing would need to be discussed directly with XZERO.
The project built and tested a full-scale demonstrator processing 400 litres per hour, up from a 40 l/h pilot. With the global nanoelectronics industry consuming an estimated 2000 billion litres of ultrapure water per year, the technology was designed with industrial scale in mind. Scaling beyond 400 l/h would likely require modular deployment of multiple units.
XZERO AB is the sole partner and owner of this technology, developed under EU SME Instrument Phase 2 funding. As the single-company consortium, IP is consolidated with XZERO. Licensing or integration partnerships would need to be negotiated directly with the company in Sweden.
Yes. Both the 40 l/h pilot and the 400 l/h demonstrator were evaluated at imec, a world-leading nanoelectronics research and fabrication center in Belgium. This means the technology was validated under conditions representative of actual semiconductor manufacturing.
The project aimed to advance from tested prototypes at TRL 6 to fully functional commercial systems at TRL 9. Three demonstrator deliverables were completed, culminating in a final full-scale 400 l/h system. Based on available project data, the technology reached advanced demonstration stage with real-facility testing at imec.
The technology specifically targets removal of sub-20 nm particles from Type 1 Ultrapure Water, which is the highest purity grade used in semiconductor manufacturing. The Zero Liquid Discharge capability also addresses environmental compliance by eliminating wastewater discharge and recovering chemicals.
This is a single-company project by XZERO AB, a Swedish SME that used the EU SME Instrument Phase 2 to commercialize its technology. With 100% industry participation and no university or research partners in the consortium, the project was entirely commercially driven. The fact that XZERO chose to test at imec (not a formal consortium partner but a globally recognized semiconductor facility) shows strong industry connections and a clear path toward real customers rather than academic outputs.
XZERO AB is a Swedish SME — contact through their website or SciTransfer can arrange an introduction
Want to explore integrating XZERO's ultrapure water technology into your semiconductor or water treatment operations? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the team.
