Maskless Mesoscale Materials Deposition (M3D)
M3D is Optomec's proprietary additive process for the production of microelectronic devices, components, and interconnects, as well as a variety of biotech constructs.
M3D produces physical and electronic structures with resolutions down to 10 micron and less. M3D is extremely flexible in its ability to deposit a wide range of materials, including electronic inks and pastes, conductive polymers, insulators, adhesives, and even biological specimens, such as proteins or cell suspensions. As a direct CAD-driven process, M3D eliminates the need for masks or semiconductor techniques, reducing infrastructure and operational costs.
Primary applications for M3D technology include High Density Interconnects, IC Packaging and Assembly, Photonics, Fuel Cells, Flat Panel Displays, Micro Sensors, and a variety of Medical Devices.
Key advantages of M3D technology: • CAD Driven Input - no need for masks or patterns
• Low-temperature processing (ie: <130°C)
• Accommodates 3-dimensional, non-planar surfaces
• Capable of high aspect ratio structures
• Conductive, insulating, and biologic materials
• Reduced environmental impact
Avionics
Optomec's M3D technology offers many distinct advantages for electronics manufacturing in defense and aviation industries, where production runs are relatively low and there is an extreme sensitivity to spatial limitations.
The ability of M3D to produce interconnects, components, and devices, such as micro-sensors with features down to 10 microns, makes it particularly attractive for space-limited applications. And, as a low-temperature process, M3D is tailored for producing microelectronics on flexible substrates that can more readily accommodate tight packaging requirements.
As an additive process, M3D is well suited for low-volume manufacturing, since it eliminates the need for costly mask sets and patterns that are used in lithography-oriented processes.
Bio-Sensors
The ability of the M3D technology to deposit viable biomolecules, combined with Optomec's specific expertise in using M3D for production of Mesoscale electronics, provides a unique opportunity for the manufacture of integrated hybrid systems consisting of both biologically active and functionally electronic devices.
Such Bio-Micro ElectroMechanical systems (BioMEMs) employ electromechanical and biological functions on an extremely small scale, and are being investigated for a variety of potential applications including: • Smart bandages that combine electrical stimulation with tissue growth factors to facilitate wound healing
• In-Vivo tissue-based biomedical devices for blood glucose monitoring and insulin level control for diabetes patients
• Individualized sensors and bio-actuators for soldiers in battlefield conditions
Tissue Engineering
Tissue engineering involves the controlled design and production of tissue constructs which mimic healthy native tissue. The ability of M3D technology to deposit a wide range of organic and inorganic materials, including living cells that maintain subsequent viability, provides a platform for building engineered tissue constructs.
In addition to the accurate deposition of multiple cell types, M3D could potentially be used to integrate support structures (ie: "scaffolding") and growth factors (e.g., VEGF) into a truly 3-dimensional structure that is more representative of actual living tissue.
Potential applications include the construction of smaller more complicated tissue components, such as heart valves, as well as less complex high volume components, such as skin and even certain multiple cell type tissue structures.
Micro-Fluid Deposition
Techniques such as combinatorial chemistry and high throughput screening are being used for a variety of drug discovery, diagnostic, and DNA sequencing applications. These processes involve the simultaneous testing of thousands of compounds against a specific "target" in search of a desired activity or reaction.
Accurate deposition of minute quantities of fluid is a key enabling technology for this industry, particularly for dispensing of targets and reagents into micro array substrates. The volumetric quantities involved today are on the order of picoliters (10-12), but the high cost of both the reagents and the overall process are driving further reduction of sample sizes.
In contrast, M3D technology has demonstrated an ability to precisely deposit fluid volumes beyond the picoliter range, making it an attractive solution for extending current processes. Additionally, since many drug test "targets" are cellular, Optomec's ability to control and deposit cells without damage is particularly promising.
Bio-chips, which include both target wells and electronic logic for conducting ultra high throughput screening tests, require high resolution deposition techniques as well as integration of biological, chemical, and electromechanical capabilities. Optomec's technical experience in each of these areas presents a promising solution.
Electronics Product Development
M3D is a valuable tool for product development efforts because it can be used to prototype, as well as manufacture, microelectronic circuitry components and devices.
M3D is driven directly from CAD data, making it much easier and faster to implement and validate design changes during the iterative prototyping process.
M3D eliminates the delays and costs associated with mask sets and other up-front capital required by conventional electronics manufacturing techniques. The result is faster time-to-market and lower cost for developing new products.
Because M3D is non-contact additive process, it can even be used to modify an existing prototype or part with minor revisions and additions.
Electronics Packaging / HDI
M3D produces reliable fine feature circuitry down to 25 microns, making it ideal for packaging and high-density interconnect applications at both the chip and circuit board level.
The M3D system is able to repeatably generate fine lines and area fills, allowing for smaller traces and bond pads at higher-density pitches. The capabilities go well beyond thick-film and ink-jet processes to support ever-increasing I/O counts.
Low-temperature curing makes M3D an ideal solution for flexible circuits on plastic substrates. And, as a conformal, non-contact process, M3D is a unique solution for non-planar substrates and connections across multiple underlying substrate types.
M3D is especially suitable for low-volume applications because it is directly driven from CAD data, and does not require expensive mask sets or patterns.
In addition to conductive materials, M3D can also deposit insulating and adhesive materials as part of a comprehensive packaging solution.
Electronic Component Production
M3D offers a solution for the production of smaller, high-performance components critical to size-sensitive applications like those in the wireless and hand-held device markets where component density is increasing dramatically.
The ability of M3D technology to create complex geometries from a wide range of materials makes it suitable for the production of both passive and active components, including resistors, inductors, capacitors, filters, micro-antennae, and micro-batteries. The excellent edge definition and repeatability of the process are particularly relevant to high frequency requirements.
Since M3D can deposit both conductive and insulating materials, one layer at a time, it can even be used to directly embed passive components.
Electronic Devices
Many devices manufactured for electronics products, require multi-layer manufacturing techniques. The ability of M3D technology to deposit conductive, insulating, and adhesive materials layer-by-layer within a single system makes it an attractive solution for the partial or complete production of microelectronic devices.
M3D demonstrations in this area include sub-micron layers of Platinum for Fuel Cell applications, high-density interconnect backplanes (Organic and Metal) for Flat Panel Displays, and micro-thermocouples for avionics. Other applications include Micro-Sensors, Micro-Heaters, Micro-Mirrors, and Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS).
As the market demands that such devices get smaller and more performant, M3D is a unique solution for producing the required fine features. And as these markets continue to evolve, M3D can be a powerful product development tool, as well as a viable low-volume production solution.
