Periodic Reporting for period 1 - NanoDrip (Revolutionary Nanodrip printing technology for industrial scale manufacturing enabling the next generation of high-end devices Type of funding scheme: SME Instrument)
Reporting period: 2019-11-01 to 2020-02-29
It is estimated that 20.4 billion connected things will be in use worldwide by the end of 2020, requiring devices to have unprecedented processing power, longer battery life and complexity. Therefore, consumer electronic devices are continuously decreasing in size by embedding more complex functionality, and incorporating increased processing power. This in turn leads to an exponential increase in capital expenditures and operational costs for the advanced semiconductor industry. One way for manufacturers to preserve their edge on their circuits’ small sizes, low costs, and high performance is to incorporate newer advanced semiconductor packaging technologies that provide improved device performance while enabling device miniaturization. However, current fabrication technologies involve long process chains, are extremely energy- and capital-intensive, create substantial waste (high environmental impact), and are not sufficiently flexible, thus hindering progress in consumer electronics. The objectives of the feasibility study were to evaluate the technical and economical requirements to disrupt the way semiconductor industrial manufacturing is executed worldwide through innovative printing technologies that allow for micro-level ultra-high resolution. The company evaluated also the optimum market areas for initial roll out of the technology in the semiconductor industry first in EU and then globally, tackling the need for more efficient and sustainable industrial production, thereby addressing critical goals of H2020 and Horizon Europe.
Scrona completed a full analysis of the technical and business potential of the breakthrough 3D printing technology and initially identified a minimum viable product for the European market based on regional drivers. It was established that the best way to commercialise the NanoDrip printing technology was through direct sales for the proprietary print heads and licensing of the industrial equipment and printing method thereof. Scrona also analysed their current pipeline of potential customers and calculated detailed six year financial projections should commercialization be achieved. Scrona formulated a robust industrialisation strategy and addressed risks and regulations which could impede the process of bringing the innovative NanoDrip printing system to market. The necessary technical steps required to release a viable solution in the European market were analysed and a scale-up plan was outlined.
The expected outcome is to optimize manufacturing and control unit components such that market readiness will be achieved by the end of the Innovation project. The NanoDrip printing system provides ultra-high-resolution microfabrication suitable for the manufacturing of advanced semiconductor packaging, specifically for RDL processing optimization. NanoDrip provides high throughput, and enables ultra-high-resolution (sub-micron) printing on any substrate. The system drastically reduces by 10x material waste and energy consumption, by condensing a 22-step process chain into only 2 steps. It has been estimated that if NanoDrip system would be integrated in the production line of the global advanced packaging industry, the energy saving could be as equal as the amount produced by a 5TWh nuclear power plant per year!