Plasma Beyond Fusion: Powering Next Generation Semiconductor Manufacturing & Materials

Plasma, the fourth state of matter, is best known as the key technology behind the promise of fusion energy. But plasma is quickly becoming one of the most important…and misunderstood..forces shaping the future of semiconductor manufacturing and advanced materials.

As AI pushes the semiconductor industry to new extremes, plasma is stepping in to do what traditional lithography and wet chemistry increasingly cannot.

As part of NY Deep Tech Week, SOSV’s HAX is hosting a conversation that brings together world leaders in plasma — spanning plasma physics and chemistry, semiconductor manufacturing, and venture investing. They'll explore how the technology is evolving inside fabs, why it’s unlocking entirely new classes of 2D and post-silicon materials, and how we can accelerate commercialization of these breakthroughs in the U.S.

Speakers:

• Faran Nouri: Former Senior Partner at Natcast, General Partner at America’s Frontier Fund, and VP & Managing Director at Lam Research; Expert in semiconductor tech with experience as an entrepreneur, investor, and board member
• Yevgeny Raitses, Ph.D: Distinguished Research Fellow at Princeton Plasma Physics Lab (PPPL); Expert in 2D materials and experimental plasma physics with 200+ publications spanning plasma thrusters, plasma–surface interactions, plasma-based synthesis and processing of nanomaterials, cross-field discharges, and plasma diagnostics.
• Gilroy Vandentop, Ph.D: Former VP & Director of Corporate University Research at Intel Labs; Expert in novel materials, manufacturing tech, and partnerships; Ph.D in Physical Chemistry
• Olivier Oomen: Co-Founder & CEO at HallTech B.V., a thin-film platform for next-node semiconductors; Formerly at ASML, where he focused on planning and execution of complex system upgrades for leading semiconductor customers; MSc in Applied Plasma Physics
• Moderated by Susan Schofer, Ph.D: Partner at SOSV and Chief Science Officer at HAX, PhD in Chemistry with 20 years experience translating deep tech innovation from lab to market

This event is sponsored by PTC__: Built on a trusted product data foundation, and embedded in the tools and workflows customers already use every day—PTC’s AI empowers customers to unlock more value across the entire product lifecycle.