Simon Rihm | Notion Systems: Can additive manufacturing really replace a 6-step subtractive photolithography process with a single step?
00:03:22 - 00:05:40
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Summary of the clip:
Can additive manufacturing really replace a 6-step subtractive photolithography process with a single step?
Subtractive photolithography has long been the bottleneck in electronic and advanced display manufacturing. A typical functional layer requires six distinct steps: substrate preparation, uniform layer deposition, resist coating, exposure, development, etching, and final resist stripping. This multi-step cycle results in significant material waste, high energy consumption, and long cycle times, limiting rapid prototyping and high-yield manufacturing scalability.
By transitioning to direct-write additive manufacturing via inkjet technology, companies can bypass this entire lithographic loop. Printing the etch resist directly eliminates two entire process steps. More dramatically, directly printing the functional material itself reduces the manufacturing workflow from six steps down to a single, high-precision deposition step.
This process consolidation translates into a paradigm shift for display and semiconductor packaging. It minimizes capital expenditure on etching equipment, slashes chemical waste, and drastically lowers environmental impact, demonstrating the massive commercial viability of industrial inkjet systems.
In this short video, you can learn:
* Why traditional subtractive processing requires six separate, resource-intensive lithography steps.
* How direct-write additive manufacturing consolidates the production workflow down to a single step.
* The strategic cost, energy, and material advantages of replacing subtractive etching with additive inkjet technology.
π **Clip Abstract** Direct-write additive inkjet printing offers a highly efficient alternative to traditional multi-step subtractive photolithography. By depositing functional layers in a single step, manufacturers can bypass complex etch-and-strip cycles, saving substantial time, energy, and raw materials.
π Link in comments π
#DirectWriteInkjet, #EtchResistPrinting, #SubtractiveToAdditive, #AdditiveElectronics, #SemiconductorPackaging, #PrintedElectronics
This is a highlight of the presentation:
From Subtractive to Additive: Shaping the Future of R&D with the new n.jet evo
Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA 2026
10-11 June 2026
Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California, USA
Organised By:
TechBlick
More Highlights from the same talk.
00:07:47 - 00:09:46
How do modern industrial printheads coordinate ten thousand nozzles ejecting 100,000 droplets per second?
How do modern industrial printheads coordinate ten thousand nozzles ejecting 100,000 droplets per second?
At the heart of industrial inkjet printing lies the precise control of fluid dynamics and piezoelectric mechanics. Inside each nozzle chamber, an integrated piezoelectric membrane acts as a mechanical actuator. When triggered by a highly optimized electrical pulseβreferred to as a fire pulse or waveformβthe membrane deflects, initiating an acoustic pressure wave that propagates within the fluid cavity to cleanly eject a single droplet.
This mechanism operates as a massive parallel processing system, rather than a slow serialized print. Modern printheads feature over 10,000 individually addressable nozzles per unit, with each nozzle capable of firing up to 100,000 micro-droplets per second. This high firing frequency enables rapid pattern generation without sacrificing high spatial resolution.
Because the digital controller can make localized, microsecond-level decisions for each independent nozzle, this non-contact process avoids the need for physical masks or screen-printing frames. This contactless, digital architecture makes wet-on-wet processing and rapid design alterations instantly realizable on the factory floor.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The exact electromechanical principles of piezoelectric membrane deflection and acoustic wave generation in inkjet nozzles.
* How massive parallelization scales inkjet throughput with over 10,000 nozzles per unit.
* Why digital, touchless, maskless operation enables immediate wet-on-wet processing changes.
π **Clip Abstract** Piezoelectric inkjet technology leverages acoustic waves within fluid micro-chambers to eject droplets at ultra-high frequencies. With thousands of parallel, digitally controlled nozzles, this non-contact process enables high-throughput pattern deposition without physical masks.
π Link in comments π
#PiezoelectricInkjet, #AcousticWaveEjection, #MasklessDeposition, #DropOnDemand, #PrintedElectronics, #AdditiveManufacturing
05:20 - 07:05
Your inkjet printer is limited to 20-micron features. How can we print at 5 microns or less for next-gen micro-displays and electronics?
Your inkjet printer is limited to 20-micron features. How can we print at 5 microns or less for next-gen micro-displays and electronics?
The primary limitation of conventional additive technologies like thermal or piezo inkjet is the achievable feature size, which is directly tied to the minimum drop volume. For standard inkjet, this results in a practical resolution limit of around 20 microns, which is insufficient for many advanced semiconductor and display applications. This resolution barrier is what necessitates a move to more advanced jetting technologies to meet the demands of miniaturization.
Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing operates on a fundamentally different principle that enables ultra-high resolution. Instead of a piezo element mechanically *pushing* a picoliter-scale droplet out of a nozzle, EHD uses a modulated electric field to *pull* the ink from the nozzle tip. This process forms a Taylor cone at the meniscus and allows for the controlled ejection of extremely fine droplets when the electrostatic forces overcome the surface tension of the ink.
The physics of EHD enables a much higher energy density at the nozzle, making it possible to generate droplets in the femtoliter rangeβorders of magnitude smaller than standard inkjet. This directly translates to a massive leap in resolution, enabling feature sizes of around 5 microns in industrial applications today. The technology roadmap for EHD printing even extends to potential resolutions below one micron, opening up new possibilities for fabricating complex micro-scale devices.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The resolution limitations of standard piezo inkjet technology (around 20 microns).
* The fundamental physical difference between inkjet (pushing fluid) and EHD (pulling fluid with an electric field).
* How EHD achieves ultra-high resolution by generating femtoliter-scale droplets.
π **Clip Abstract** This clip explains why conventional inkjet technology hits a resolution wall at ~20 microns, limiting its use in advanced electronics. It then introduces Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing, detailing how its unique "pull" mechanism generates femtoliter-sized droplets for resolutions down to 5 microns and beyond.
π Link in comments π
#EHDPrinting, #MicroDisplays, #HighResolutionPrinting, #FemtoliterDroplets, #PrintedElectronics, #AdvancedDisplays
00:09:49 - 00:12:42
What happens inside the complex parameter space that dictates successful functional material printing?
What happens inside the complex parameter space that dictates successful functional material printing?
Scaling inkjet technology from R&D to high-volume semiconductor and display manufacturing requires conquering a highly complex, multi-dimensional parameter space. The physical interaction between the functional ink, the nozzle geometry, and the target substrate is governed by a delicate balance of fluid viscosity, surface tension, substrate wettability, and acoustic velocity. Slight variations in any of these variables can lead to nozzle clogging, poor drop placement, or irregular film morphology.
To mitigate these risks, advanced tool architectures integrate real-time diagnostic systems, such as specialized drop watchers. These diagnostic systems analyze droplet flight dynamics in real time, measuring satellite drop formation, nozzle consistency, and droplet velocity uniformity. This immediate feedback loop is critical for refining the complex driving waveforms needed for stable, industrial-scale jetting.
Furthermore, modern R&D systems use modular, plug-and-play printing modules to handle multiple functional inks on a single substrate. Highly precise linear axes and advanced camera alignment systems ensure repeatable drop placement within a single micron, providing a robust path to transition advanced material processes from the lab to the factory floor.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The critical fluid parameters, such as viscosity and surface tension, that define the inkjet parameter space.
* How real-time drop watch systems diagnose satellite droplet formation and nozzle consistency during flight.
* The role of high-precision linear stages and camera systems in achieving one-micron placement repeatability.
π **Clip Abstract** Navigating the complex fluid dynamics of functional inkjet printing requires precise control over viscosity, surface tension, and jetting waveforms. Real-time droplet diagnostics and high-precision mechanical stages allow developers to optimize these parameters for reliable industrial scale-up.
π Link in comments π
#DropWatcherDiagnostics, #JettingWaveformOptimization, #MicronPlacementAccuracy, #FunctionalInkDynamics, #PrintedElectronics, #AdditiveMicrofabrication