Tadas Kildusis | Akoneer: Is mechanical roughness the secret to high-adhesion copper metallization on smooth glass?
16:15 - 17:40
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Summary of the clip:
Is mechanical roughness the secret to high-adhesion copper metallization on smooth glass?
During the Q&A session, the speaker unpacks the physical chemistry behind their laser metallization technology, revealing that adhesion is not driven by mechanical interlocking. Instead of melting the dielectric, ultrashort pulse lasers are utilized to selectively break molecular bonds, exposing highly reactive open bonds at the interface.
These open chemical bonds temporarily recombine with atmospheric humidity to form a stable intermediate state. When introduced to a specialized metal ion activation solution, the palladium catalyst selectively coordinates and chemically bonds only to these laser-modified regions, initiating electroless copper growth.
This chemical coordination mechanism explains why the technology achieves exceptional adhesion on ultra-smooth, highly polished glass substrates. True interface adhesion is governed by selective coordination chemistry rather than the physical micro-roughness of the material.
In this short video, you can learn:
* Why ultrashort pulse lasers are used to break chemical bonds rather than melt the substrate.
* The chemical pathway from atmospheric stabilization to selective catalyst coordination.
* Why true interface adhesion relies on chemical bonding rather than physical surface roughness.
š **Clip Abstract** This clip describes the physical chemistry behind the selective activation of dielectrics using ultrashort pulse lasers. The speaker clarifies that high metallization adhesion is a product of direct chemical bonding rather than surface micro-roughness.
š Link in comments š
#LaserMetallization, #CoordinationChemistry, #ElectrolessCopper, #GlassMetallization, #AdditiveElectronics, #AdvancedPackaging
This is a highlight of the presentation:
Creating high density and high adhesion Cu traces on any dielectric substrate
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.
02:42 - 04:15
Can we eliminate photolithography masks to achieve sub-10-micron copper traces on raw dielectrics?
Can we eliminate photolithography masks to achieve sub-10-micron copper traces on raw dielectrics?
Akoneer introduces a maskless, semi-additive metallization process that selectively deposits copper traces directly onto raw dielectric substrates. By combining direct-write laser patterning with selective activation and electroless plating chemistry, this technique bypasses the need for conventional photoresist masks, seed layers, and subsequent chemical etching.
The process achieves line widths down to 1 micron, with a commercial sweet spot of around 10 microns where laser writing speeds are fully optimized. Crucially, the technology currently operates at writing speeds of 7 meters per second, with advanced development configurations demonstrating speeds up to 30 meters per second.
This ultra-high-speed digital writing capability makes the process highly competitive with traditional photolithography for high-throughput manufacturing. At 30 meters per second, a full 300 mm wafer can be selectively patterned and prepared for plating in under 15 minutes, offering rapid design iteration cycles.
In this short video, you can learn:
* How maskless laser patterning enables selective electroless copper plating on raw, uncoated dielectrics.
* The dimensional scaling limits of the process down to single-micron trace widths.
* The scaling strategy for high-throughput industrial manufacturing of 300 mm wafers.
š **Clip Abstract** This clip explains a maskless, semi-additive copper metallization process utilizing selective laser activation and electroless plating on raw dielectrics. The speaker outlines key throughput milestones, demonstrating how scaling writing speeds to 30 meters per second can process a 300 mm wafer in just 15 minutes.
š Link in comments š
#MasklessPatterning, #ElectrolessCopper, #LaserDirectWriting, #Sub10Micron, #AdditiveElectronics, #AdvancedPackaging
04:49 - 05:45
How do you build perfectly planar, embedded copper traces in glass substrates without delamination?
How do you build perfectly planar, embedded copper traces in glass substrates without delamination?
Because electroless copper deposition naturally grows isotropically in all directions, post-processing is required to achieve high-precision planar structures. By utilizing the exceptionally high adhesion of their laser-activated bond, Akoneer implements a post-metallization polishing process to remove excess copper overburden.
This polishing step grinds away the copper protruding above the surface of the dielectric, leaving perfectly planar, embedded copper traces within the glass channels. This coplanar architecture is highly critical for advanced packaging, glass interposers, and display backplanes where flat topographies are required for subsequent bonding and layer stacking.
The success of this polishing step relies entirely on the robust chemical adhesion of the copper-glass interface. Without sufficient interfacial adhesion strength, mechanical polishing would tear and delaminate the sub-15-micron copper traces from their trenches.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The challenges of isotropic growth in electroless copper plating and how to control it.
* The process of mechanical polishing to create coplanar, embedded copper traces in glass.
* Why high chemical interface adhesion is mandatory to survive aggressive chemical-mechanical polishing.
š **Clip Abstract** This clip details the method of creating planar, embedded copper traces on glass substrates by utilizing post-plating mechanical polishing. The speaker explains how high interface adhesion prevents sub-15-micron traces from delaminating during the aggressive planarization process.
š Link in comments š
#GlassInterposers, #ElectrolessCopper, #ChemicalMechanicalPlanarization, #LaserActivatedBonding, #AdvancedPackaging, #DisplayBackplanes