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Xcimer, a leading innovator in inertial fusion powered by advanced laser technology, has announced the appointment of Dr. Silvia De Dea as the Head of Materials and Process Engineering, reporting to Giovanni Greco, Senior Vice President of Engineering, as the company accelerates its mission to bring fusion energy to the grid by the mid-2030s.

Dr. Silvia De Dea is renowned for her work at leading semiconductor company Cymer/ASML, where she played a pivotal role in developing core technology for next-generation extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems. These highly complex systems are central to manufacturing advanced microchips used in technologies such as machine learning, autonomous vehicles, and the Internet of Things. At Xcimer, she will be responsible for building and leading a team focused on the understanding, development, and application of materials to enable new products and enhance existing ones, a key element of the company’s long-term fusion energy roadmap.

Dr. De Dea’s rare combination of deep technical knowledge and hands-on experience in scaling complex systems. Her expertise spans areas such as laser-induced plasmas, vacuum chamber debris management, materials for extreme environments, fluid dynamics, mass spectrometry, and supercritical fluids.

“Humanity can’t continue to improve its quality of life without a new source of robust, zero-emission energy. Xcimer’s approach is the best and most derisked path I’ve seen and the most significant challenge and honor of my career so far”, said Dr. Silvia. “After my work on EUV lithography systems as applied to advanced microchips, I thought about what I could do that would have an even greater positive impact on Humanity. There’s no doubt in my mind that working on fusion would be the very best use of my time and intellect, and once I made that decision, working for Xcimer became the obvious choice.”

Dr. Mike Campbell, former Associate Director for Lasers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and a key architect of the National Ignition Facility, introduced Dr. De Dea to Xcimer in March 2025. He also serves as Director of the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics and currently chairs Xcimer’s newly formed Science and Technology Advisory Board. The board, comprising 12 leading experts in fusion, laser physics, engineering, nuclear technology, and related fields, provides independent review and guidance on Xcimer’s technical strategy and deployment plans for future inertial fusion power plants.

Click here to know more about Xcimer’s Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE).