LINZ, AUSTRIA - Nanoident Technologies has opened a high-volume manufacturing facility for printed semiconductor-based optoelectronics, based on the company’s Semiconductor 2.0 technology platform, to deliver to the Nanoident Group of companies, which includes Nanoident Technologies, Nanoident Biometrics, and Bioident Technologies (Menlo Park, CA). Dubbed an organic fab (OFAB), the environmentally friendly production process in the new facility can produce printed electronic devices quickly and at a fraction of the cost of a traditional silicon-based semiconductor fab, according to a company statement.
The company expects the new OFAB production facility to enable innovative solutions in a wide range of markets-including consumer, industrial, life sciences and security-that were previously prohibitive due to cost, the physical constraints of silicon, the expense and material waste associated with mask making, and the need to process toxic materials. Since toxic materials are not used in the OFAB, Nanoident describes it as a green production process.
“Printed semiconductor-based optoelectronics devices created by the OFAB will usher in an era of new application types (traditionally not well suited for silicon) which will improve healthcare, enhance personal and homeland security, as well as drive new industrial applications,” said Klaus G. Schroeter, CEO, Nanoident. “These applications are just the beginning, as we look forward to driving continued advancements for printed devices that will enhance peoples’ lives.”
To produce printed electronics in the 100-class cleanroom at the OFAB, nanomaterials are deposited extremely fast onto a substrate using advanced printing methods. Traditional chip manufacturing takes approximately two to three months. In the OFAB, the entire process can be completed in hours or days, depending on the application. Prototypes and volume production can be run on the same equipment, which allows for highly customized devices. Production capacity can be scaled easily by adding more equipment.
Nanoident’s Semiconductor 2.0 platform is comprised of four core intellectual property (IP) elements: liquid conductive and semiconductive materials IP; design and simulation IP; production processes and quality assurance IP; and functional component IP. The platform enables the design and mass production of printed semiconductor-based components such as photodetectors, light-emitting diodes, transistors, photovoltaic cells, resistors, capacitors, and interconnects.
To enable the rapid deployment of printed semiconductor-based products in specific vertical market segments, Nanoident and its subsidiaries have created vertical market platforms based on the Semiconductor 2.0 technology platform for the life science and security markets.
-Hassaun A. Jones-Bey