The atomic-layer 3D plotter

Project Information

ATOPLOT

Grant agreement ID: 950785

DOI

10.3030/950785

Project closed

EC signature date 25 March 2020

Start date 1 May 2020

End date 30 April 2022

Funded under

• Horizon 2020 Framework Programme

Total cost

€ 3 758 308,75

EU contribution

€ 2 980 675,00

Coordinated by

FRIEDRICH-ALEXANDER-UNIVERSITAET ERLANGEN-NUERNBERG
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ATOPLOT (The atomic-layer 3D plotter)

Reporting period: 2021-05-01 to 2022-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Micro- and nanofabrication represents important mainstream manufacturing processes across several industrial fast-growing sectors, such as MEMS & sensors, optics & photonics, RF devices, semiconductors, printed electronics, which in turn are significant building blocks in e.g. advanced healthtech, biotech, cleantech, and electronics. Yet, to improve the market stance, the micro-/nanofabrication sector is looking for solutions able to reduce costs and time spent on the prototyping and fabrication process, as well as more flexible, efficient and sustainable solutions, able to utilize a broader range of materials permitting custom-built components. While the most promising technology to address these challenges is found in the 3D printing market, there are currently no available 3D printers or technologies with the capabilities to address these challenges. To this purpose, ATL (DK) has developed the ATLANT3D Nanofabricator, a 3D nanoprinting technology with improved resolution and flexibility, while costing less 27% than the closest 3D printing competitor, and up to 92% less than conventional competitors. It will enable rapid prototyping, shorter time to market and lower barriers for companies and researchers already working in this field, as well as those for whom micro-/nanoprototyping is currently not feasible.
The overall aim of ATOPLOT project is to mature, extend capabilities and prove full functionality and benefits of the ATLANT3D Nanofabricator. ATOPLOT brings together a consortium of three SMEs (ATL, FEM, SEMPA) and two academic partners (FAU, SAS) – in unison representing a technical side specialized in nanofabrication, and a business side with experience in business development and B2B sales & marketing. The consortium expects a successful market introduction of the Nanofabricator within the next 3 years, tapping into a large business opportunity, from which the partners stand to capture more than 400M€ as profit and directly creating 165+ new jobs.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The Atoplot project partners have worked on the following aspects of atomic-layer additive manufacturing (ALAM):
--- Design and fabrication of a gas delivery micronozzle that defines a microfluidic environment and thereby provides a microscale ALD reactor that is highly constrained laterally;
--- Design and assembly of a prototype that includes precursor management, gas delivery, sample motion, heating, and automation;
--- Development of deposition chemistry and characterization of process parameters for two oxide materials, TiO2 and ZnO, and a metal, Pt;
--- Characterization of the deposit's properties (chemical composition, morphology, geometric parameters, crystallinity, crystal orientation);
--- Design of functional demonstrator devices (temperature sensor, position sensor, pressure sensor) and their test procedures;
--- Functional characterization of the three sensors and comparison of ALAM-created sensors with counterparts generated with classical lithographic procedures and with industry standards;
--- Presentation of the technology principles and first results in more than 60 distinct public contexts (conferences, fairs, pitch events);
--- Publication of three peer-reviewed papers, completion of a patent and application for a further patent;
--- Market intelligence and business plan.

Overall, we have demonstrated in practice that single-step, direct-patterning multimaterial deposition is doable, fast, and versatile. It simplify processing vastly with respect to classical lithographic procedures and minimizes the consumption of materials, energy, and time. It can generate devices with performance parameters similar or even superior to those of industry standards or of lithographically processed microdevices.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The business innovation objective of the ATOPLOT project is to strengthen the competitiveness of the partners drastically by demonstrating how different types of micro- and nanodevices can be fabricated in a vast complexity of materials (metals and oxides) utilising the ATLANT3D Nanofabricator technology. This nanofabrication technology enables end-users to fabricate micro- and nanodevices to a much higher degree of cost-effectiveness, flexibility, speed, increased resolution and customisability – all while enabling micro-/nanofabrication in markets never before addressable due to the introduction of more complex materials. The ATOPLOT project represents a paradigm shift in methods available for micro-/nanofabrication, as end-users will be able to reduce their micro- and nanodevice prototyping costs with up to 92% (CAPEX), lowering the process time from several months to weeks, producing otherwise impossible geometries, as well as implementing new concepts on the design of the devices (besides eliminating the requirements of a cleanroom environment), thus boosting innovation substantially. Industry wise, the demonstrations and optimisations performed in ATOPLOT will open up massive possibilities for leveraging the true potential of the IoT, AI, Robotics, etc. – expanding the market reach to not only include MEMS & Sensors but be perfectly fitted for fabrication in regard to Optics, Photonics and RF Devices as well.

atlant-logo-alam.jpg