xLight, the American company building the world’s most powerful Free Electron Lasers (FELs) to revolutionize semiconductor manufacturing, today announced Dr. Thomas Caulfield – a renowned semiconductor industry leader and the Executive Chairman of the Board of GlobalFoundries (GF) – has joined the xLight Board of Directors.

“The future of American semiconductor manufacturing is bright because of companies like xLight that are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible,” said Dr. Thomas Caulfield. “Having spent my career inside the fab, I know first-hand it takes relentless innovation to advance process development and scale production. xLight is uniquely positioned to give manufacturers a powerful new technology that will unlock the next generation of chip manufacturing, and I’m honored to join the board and partner with this talented team to deliver unlimited light.”

As an independent director, Dr. Caulfield will bring to the board more than 30 years of experience across engineering, executive management, and global operations. He currently serves as Executive Chairman of the Board of GF, having previously served as its President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He was named CEO in 2018 and led the company’s initial public offering in October 2021, which was the largest semiconductor IPO in history at that time. Dr. Caulfield joined GF in May 2014 as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the company’s Fab 8 semiconductor wafer manufacturing facility in Malta, NY. In that role, he led operations, process development, and the expansion and ramp-up of semiconductor manufacturing production – deep experience that gives him unique perspective into the needs of xLight’s customers.

“Tom has an incredible track record leading technology companies and brings a depth of knowledge of the semiconductor industry that will be an immense resource for xLight,” said Nicholas Kelez, xLight CEO and CTO. “As the former CEO of a leading U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturer, Tom immediately understood xLight’s potential to reshape the future of American semiconductor manufacturing. We are lucky to have him on our board and look forward to our work together to deliver unlimited light.”

Dr. Caulfield’s appointment to the board comes as the company drives forward with the construction of the xLight prototype system in Albany, New York. Since xLight signed a Letter of Intent with the U.S. Department of Commerce in December of 2025, the company has made meaningful progress to develop and build the company’s prototype system and on June 2, the company announced the $150 million award was finalized.

With Dr. Caulfield’s support and guidance, xLight will continue to engage with the U.S. Department of Commerce and partners across the semiconductor ecosystem to build the company’s first system where the world’s best lithography capabilities will enable the research and development that will define the future of chip manufacturing.

About xLight

xLight was founded in 2021 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. The company’s mission is to commercialize particle accelerator driven Free Electron Lasers (FEL) for critical US economic and national security applications. xLight is led by a team of light source pioneers, lithographers, and particle accelerator builders, and the company’s work is driven by the belief that the United States must regain and sustain leadership in semiconductor manufacturing. Learn more at www.xlight.com.