Agenda

At Fraunhofer EMFT, the latest advancements in digital lithography unlock new opportunities for high-throughput, sustainable electronics manufacturing. By combining a direct-write UV exposure system tailored for fully automated roll-to-roll (R2R) operation with a semi-additive processing approach, we enable the production of ultra-long, even theoretically endless, high-resolution metal patterns. A digitally controlled stitching technique ensures seamless alignment over extended foil lengths, expanding the capabilities of continuous electronics manufacturing.

This versatile platform supports a wide range of applications. Examples include tamper protection foils, flexible superconducting interconnects, and high-density flexible cables for medical catheters. Our technology further allows assembly and integration of packaged or bare die components via advanced bonding methods. We seamlessly combine printing, digital lithographic patterning , and precision integration techniques to deliver adaptable solutions tailored to specific functional and industrial demands.

Mass-produced components are either exact replicates, or contain a high percentage of replicate circuitry, making their manufacture well suited for “analog” print technologies. While screen printing dominates current printed electronics manufacturing, the use of roll-to-roll flexography can be advantaged for volume production of high-resolution designs. This talk will provide an overview of the benefits and challenges of “going roll-to-roll” and using flexo. Examples and data will be shared from lab-scale and production scale evaluations.

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In the era of digitalization and Industry 4.0, sensor technology is pivotal for real-time monitoring and data collection, significantly impacting product life cycle management. Traditional strain gages are produced via complex lithographic processes and require manual bonding, leading to potential quality inconsistencies affecting data accuracy. Direct application through digital printing offers a promising alternative, aiming to reduce production costs while enhancing quality assurance. Printed electronics require the ink to be sintered for conductivity, with most processes striving for maximum conductivity. However, the printing process often results in inconsistent local conductivity, impairing sensor performance. Laser technology provides a solution by enabling precise control over the local sintering degree, thus optimizing conductivity. Initially, low-power sintering is applied, followed by conductivity measurement, potentially through contactless THz radiation. Local conductivity variations due to printing inconsistencies are then addressed with a second sintering step to standardize and improve sensor quality. This study explores the impact of laser parameters on the local conductivity of thin silver layers during both sintering steps, identifying defect sources and achieving resistance fluctuations below 1 Ω. This method aims to fulfill stringent commercial strain gauge sensor requirements.

Laser thermal processing is by far the most effective way to heat up NIR-absorbing materials.

The first step in sustainability is choosing green materials, followed by selecting energy-efficient technologies.

We offer enabling solutions in laser sintering, encapsulation or soldering through innovative partnerships with material suppliers, institutes, and system integrators.

Glass is becoming a popular material for electronics and semiconductor packaging. Using laser technologies we have created methods to do multilayer glass PCB with high interconnection density.

The miniaturization and complexity of modern microelectronics and advanced packaging present significant manufacturing challenges, often requiring the use of specialized low-viscosity inks and expensive plating processes. To address these limitations, we introduce Pattern Transfer Printing (PTP™), a novel laser-based, non-contact technology capable of microscale printing with high-viscosity pastes.
This technology enables the use of standard metal pastes, such as silver, copper, and solder, to produce high-resolution conductive patterns and electrodes. PTP™ has been successfully implemented in the photovoltaic (PV) industry for high-throughput, mass production, achieving fine-line fingers as narrow as 10 μm for both TOPCon and HJT cell technologies.
Furthermore, PTP™ serves as an effective alternative to costly plating methods in the semiconductor industry, capable of printing solder bumps down to 20 μm for advanced packaging applications. The unique capabilities of PTP™—combining high-resolution patterning, material versatility, and high aspect ratios—make it a key enabling technology for the next generation of semiconductor and microelectronic manufacturing.

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Embedding smartness in plastic-based devices requires some form of circuitry based on transistors to generate logical functions. Equally there may be need for signal processing to amplify and digitise signals from sensors. Such combinations of functionality goes towards the generation of so-called internet-of-things (IOT). For large scale deployment of the technology, there are a number of desirable features of the property and capability of the circuitry such as circuit operating power, voltage, frequency, transistor gate count, production yield and overall cost of production. Whilst p-type OTFT circuits have been developed with some promising performance metrics, challenges remain up till now to provide a technology that operates at a low enough power consumption and with high enough noise margin. Recently, we have advanced the capability to integrate n-type oxide TFTs and this has brought the much anticipated and rapid progress towards very low power operation and high noise margin. This presentation will illustrate the technical and commercial approach to provide a rapid turnaround capability for plastic-based CMOS circuitry. The process offered by Smartkem follows an affordable route to both prototyping and scale up via the use of existing IGZO capability in the display backplane industry combined with a versatile digital lithography-based p-type OTFT process. Balanced device current driving characteristics and matched turn-on voltages give near ideal inverter behaviour with high tolerance for process variations. Finally, a roadmap for provision of a PDK using EDA tools is presented so that electronic designers can design plastic CMOS circuits and submit layouts for production.

Harsh weather poses a significant challenge to ADAS camera reliability, as fog, snow, and ice can obstruct the camera’s field of view, impairing object detection and system performance. A transparent CNT-based film heater offers a highly effective solution, delivering fast, uniform de-icing and de-fogging directly in the optical path. With high visible light transmittance, ultra-low haze, and a wire-free design, it ensures clear visibility without optical distortion, enabling consistent ADAS functionality in all environmental conditions.

The CNT heater can be seamlessly integrated into the windshield during standard automotive glass lamination, sandwiched between interlayers for enhanced durability and optical performance. Canatu’s CNT film heater is flexibly customizable to meet specific heating, optical, and electrical requirements, making it ideal for OEM integration into next-generation autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles.

The convergence of digital manufacturing and sustainable technology is driving the next generation of flexible electronics. We present a inkjet printing methodology for fabricating high-performance flexible photocatalytic electrodes (FPEs) that demonstrates the transformative potential of additive manufacturing in electronics production.
Our scalable process combines precision inkjet deposition with digital thermal processing to create functional ceramic TiO2 electrodes directly on flexible PET substrates. This all-digital approach eliminates traditional post-processing steps and enables on-demand production of customized electrode geometries. The resulting black anatase-TiO2 structures, enhanced with a 4 nm platinum cocatalyst layer, achieve exceptional performance metrics: 98% pollutant degradation efficiency within 25 minutes under standard solar illumination. (95% pollutant degradation the the electrode is reused)

The manufacturing innovation lies in our direct-write ceramic ink formulation and controlled thermal treatment, which produces oxygen-deficient TiO2 with enhanced visible light absorption. This process is fully compatible with roll-to-roll manufacturing, offering a pathway to large-area production of self-cleaning surfaces, air purification systems, and water treatment modules.

Beyond environmental applications, this technology platform opens new possibilities for integrating photocatalytic functionality into consumer electronics, automotive surfaces, and building-integrated systems. Our results demonstrate how digital manufacturing can accelerate the deployment of sustainable technologies while reducing production costs and material waste—a critical step toward reshaping electronics for environmental responsibility.

This work exemplifies the future of electronics manufacturing: digital, flexible, and inherently sustainable.

Jaime Benavides-Guerrero, Luis Felipe Gerlein, Astrid Angel, (Inktio)

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