Atomera
Atomera is a semiconductor materials engineering company developing and licensing Mears Silicon Technology to improve the performance, power efficiency, and cost of semiconductor devices.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Atomera Incorporated is a semiconductor materials engineering company headquartered in Los Gatos, California. Its business is centered on the development, commercialization, and licensing of semiconductor fabrication processes and related intellectual property rather than on the sale of finished consumer electronics or branded semiconductor components. The company's principal technology is Mears Silicon Technology, generally known as MST, an approach that modifies silicon materials at the atomic scale to improve selected characteristics of semiconductor devices. Atomera was founded in 2001 by Robert J. Mears. The company was originally known as Mears Technologies, Inc. and adopted the Atomera name in January 2016. The change reflected the company's focus on atomic-level materials engineering and provided the corporate identity under which it has pursued partnerships, licensing arrangements, and commercialization activities in the semiconductor industry. Atomera is publicly traded on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol ATOM. MST is described as a thin film of re-engineered silicon, typically approximately 100 to 300 angstroms thick. In semiconductor fabrication, the technology is intended to be integrated into existing or adapted manufacturing processes and used to enhance device characteristics. Atomera positions MST as a scalable process technology that can address performance, power consumption, and cost objectives. Its development rationale is connected to the growing difficulty of sustaining traditional improvements associated with Moore's law through conventional transistor scaling alone. The company's commercial model involves working with semiconductor manufacturers and technology partners to evaluate, qualify, license, and implement MST. Atomera has stated that the technology has been demonstrated on consumer and industrial devices and is being commercialized. In 2017, it entered a master research and development services agreement with TSI Semiconductors. The arrangement was intended to support manufacturing-process work, shorten fab cycle times, and accelerate movement from development toward market introduction. In 2018, Atomera licensed MST technology to Asahi Kasei Microdevices and STMicroelectronics, establishing examples of the company's strategy of collaborating with established semiconductor businesses rather than manufacturing a broad portfolio of end products itself. Atomera later expanded the MST platform with MST Smart Profile, or MST-SP. In November 2021, it presented MST-SP as a proprietary design intended to improve the performance of 5V analog transistors by reducing channel on-resistance. This illustrates the company's effort to apply its materials technology to specific device architectures and analog semiconductor use cases. Atomera's competitive identity is therefore based on specialized semiconductor process innovation, atomic-scale materials science, and licensing. Its value proposition is to help semiconductor producers obtain performance or efficiency improvements while leveraging established fabrication infrastructure. The company operates in a technically specialized segment of the semiconductor ecosystem, where commercial progress depends on device demonstrations, process integration, customer qualification, intellectual-property protection, and adoption by manufacturing partners. Public reference material identifies Atomera as active and in the process of commercializing its technology, but does not provide enough information here to establish the breadth of current deployments, customer revenue, or the company's present executive roster.
History
Atomera traces its origins to 2001, when it was founded by Robert J. Mears as Mears Technologies, Inc. The company was established to pursue semiconductor materials and process innovations based on atomic-scale engineering. Its central research program became Mears Silicon Technology, a method involving a thin film of re-engineered silicon that can be incorporated into semiconductor fabrication processes. The technology was developed against the backdrop of slower gains from conventional semiconductor scaling. Atomera's approach sought to improve selected device properties through changes to the material structure and process flow rather than relying solely on continued geometric shrinking. MST is typically described as a film approximately 100 to 300 angstroms thick, corresponding broadly to several dozen silicon atomic unit cells. The intended benefits include improvements in performance and energy efficiency, with potential implications for manufacturing cost and device competitiveness. In January 2016, the company changed its name from Mears Technologies, Inc. to Atomera Incorporated. The new name emphasized the atomic-level materials science underlying its technology platform. Atomera is headquartered in Los Gatos, California, and is listed on Nasdaq under the symbol ATOM. A significant step in its development and commercialization program came in 2017, when Atomera signed a master research and development services agreement with TSI Semiconductors. The agreement supported work aimed at integrating and evaluating the technology in semiconductor manufacturing. According to the available reference material, the arrangement was intended to shorten fabrication cycle times and help accelerate the path from technical development to market timelines. In 2018, Atomera licensed MST technology to Asahi Kasei Microdevices and STMicroelectronics. These agreements demonstrated the company's licensing-led business model and its effort to work with established semiconductor participants that possess device-development and manufacturing capabilities. Atomera's technology has been described as having been demonstrated on consumer and industrial devices, while the company has continued to pursue commercialization. The MST platform was subsequently extended through Mears Silicon Technology Smart Profile, or MST-SP. In November 2021, Atomera introduced MST-SP as a proprietary design focused on improving 5V analog transistors. Its stated mechanism was a reduction in channel on-resistance, a device characteristic relevant to transistor performance. The product represented a more targeted application of Atomera's materials and process expertise. Atomera's history is consequently defined less by consumer branding than by the progression of a specialized semiconductor technology from research and development toward licensing and manufacturing adoption. Its activities combine materials science, process integration, customer evaluation, intellectual-property commercialization, and collaboration with semiconductor companies. The supplied reference material does not establish a complete current management roster, detailed financial history, or the full status of each license, so those areas remain unexpanded here.
- 2021
MST Smart Profile introduced
[1]Atomera unveiled MST-SP, a technology aimed at improving 5V analog-transistor performance through lower channel on-resistance.
- 2018
MST licensing agreements
[1]Atomera licensed Mears Silicon Technology to Asahi Kasei Microdevices and STMicroelectronics.
- 2017
Master R&D agreement with TSI Semiconductors
[1]Atomera entered a master research and development services agreement with TSI Semiconductors to support process work and commercialization timelines.
- 2016
Corporate name changed to Atomera
[1]Mears Technologies, Inc. adopted the name Atomera Incorporated in January 2016.
- 2001
Company founded
[1]Robert J. Mears founded the company that was initially known as Mears Technologies, Inc.
Products and positioning
A specialized semiconductor materials and process-technology company that develops and licenses atomic-scale silicon innovations intended to improve device performance, power efficiency, and manufacturing economics.
Semiconductor process technology
Mears Silicon Technology (MST)
MST is Atomera's core semiconductor materials technology. It uses a thin film of re-engineered silicon, typically described as approximately 100 to 300 angstroms thick, to modify device materials at the atomic scale. The technology is intended to be integrated into semiconductor fabrication processes and to improve combinations of device performance, power consumption, and cost. Atomera develops MST for demonstration, customer evaluation, licensing, and eventual manufacturing adoption across consumer and industrial semiconductor applications.
Analog transistor enhancement technology · 2021
Mears Silicon Technology Smart Profile (MST-SP)
MST-SP is a proprietary extension of Atomera's MST platform introduced in November 2021. It was designed to improve the performance of 5V analog transistors, with the stated objective of reducing channel on-resistance. The offering reflects Atomera's strategy of applying its materials-engineering platform to specific semiconductor device structures and analog applications rather than limiting the technology to a single finished-chip product.
Brand decisions
2021
Introduced MST Smart ProfileProduct launchBackground
Atomera sought to apply its MST platform to targeted analog semiconductor device requirements.
Action taken
It unveiled MST-SP, a proprietary technology designed for 5V analog transistors.
Aftermath
The announced application focused on reducing channel on-resistance to improve transistor performance.
2018
Licensed MST to semiconductor partnersM&ABackground
Atomera pursued a licensing-based route to commercialize its semiconductor materials technology through established industry participants.
Action taken
It licensed MST technology to Asahi Kasei Microdevices and STMicroelectronics.
Aftermath
The agreements expanded the set of semiconductor companies evaluating or using Atomera's technology and supported its commercialization strategy.
2017
Entered a master R&D services agreement with TSI SemiconductorsStrategyBackground
Atomera needed semiconductor-manufacturing development work to support integration of its technology and shorten the route from technical evaluation to production.
Action taken
It signed a master research and development services agreement with TSI Semiconductors.
Aftermath
The agreement was intended to reduce fab cycle times and accelerate commercialization timelines.
2016
Adopted the Atomera corporate identityStrategyBackground
The company had previously operated as Mears Technologies, Inc. while developing atomic-scale semiconductor materials technology.
Action taken
It changed its corporate name to Atomera Incorporated in January 2016.
Aftermath
The renamed company continued its semiconductor technology development, licensing, and commercialization activities under the Atomera brand.
Recent events
Atomera appoints Sudarsan Srinivasan as vice president of engineering[2]
Reported:
Atomera announced the appointment of Sudarsan Srinivasan as vice president of engineering; he will oversee the company’s technology development and integration engineering efforts.
Sources2 sources
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