Microchannel
Particle Deposition (MPD)

This novel micro fabrication technology offers ultra-small and reproducible micro features fabricated with extensive parallelization and high scalability.

The strength of MPD

MPD is a thick-film micro fabrication process that uses a polymeric stamp to transfer ink onto a substrate.

Reproducibility
Accuracy
Scalability - Holding the stamp
Scalability

The  stamp allows to deposit nano and micro-materials at wafer-scale (4" - 8") with extensive parallelization.

Accuracy
Accuracy

The stamp contains microchannels which are filled with micro and nano- materials. This results in accurate deposition of full 3D-controlled microstructures.

Reproducibility
Reproducibility

By accurately fabricating the stamp, a highly reproducible deposition process is achieved.

The strength of MPD

MPD is a thick-film micro fabrication process that uses a polymeric stamp to transfer ink onto a substrate.

Scalability - Holding the stamp
Scalability

The  stamp allows to deposit nano and micro-materials at wafer-scale (4" - 8") with extensive parallelization.

Accuracy

The stamp contains microchannels which are filled with micro and nano- materials. This results in accurate deposition of full 3D-controlled microstructures.

Reproducibility

By accurately fabricating the stamp, a highly reproducible deposition process is achieved.

Our technology

MPD requires three components: a substrate, a stamp and an ink. Through six process steps an in-house developed tool cycles through the MPD process, shown below:

See our printing materials
Loading substrate

The substrate is loaded by an automated wafer handling system onto a wafer chuck in the tool.

Technology step 1 : Loading substrate
Alignment and placement of stamp

The stamp is aligned and accurately placed by the tool on the substrate. The stamp and substrate are in direct contact and seal through adhesive forces.

Technology step 2 : Alignment and placement of stamp
Injection printing material

The ink (printing material) is injected from the top into the stamp and flows through a network of channels into the microchannels that are contained in the stamp and get filled.

Curing process

Once the microchannels are completely filled, the ink is cured by removing the solvent while the stamp is still in contact with the substrate. Thereby, the printed structures become solidified.

Stamp peeling off

Once the ink is cured, the stamp is gently peeled-off by the tool to make sure the printed features remain freestanding on the substrate.

Sintering

Once the stamp is removed, the substrate is sintered at elevated temperature, to remove any binders/polymers and to give the printed material its desired properties (e.g. conductivity, porosity).

Frequently asked questions

Can you print on rough surfaces?

The stamp needs to adhere to the substrate for proper printing conditions. It is possible to print on rough surfaces as long as the roughness (Ra) is below 2 microns.

What material is the stamp made of?

The stamp is in-house fabricated by Mesoline and made from a polymer. Thereby it is flexible and can adhere to the substrate to properly seal which is required for the MPD process.

How many times can you print with one stamp?

The stamps are single-use, but recyclable.

Can you print with multiple materials?

Yes, we can print with up to four materials simultaneously. In other words, in one process step we put down stamp and can inject 4 different materials on the wafer/substrate.

What are typical sintering conditions?

This depends on the requirements of the material and possible substrate constraints. Typically the wafers are sintered between 250 - 500°C.

How do you fabricate the stamp?

The stamp is uniquely designed and fabricated in-house depending on customer design. Mesoline has developed tooling and production lines to produce these stamps at scale.

What substrate sizes does MPD support?

We can handle substrates from 100 (4-inch) typically used in R&D, up to 200 mm (8-inch) substrates.

How can you achieve high-aspect ratio features?

The key in the fact that we cure the ink while that stamp is still in contact with the wafer. So we first build-up the high-aspect ratio volume with ink, subsequently we cure the ink and remove that stamp. The highest aspect-ratio we have achieved is 1:5.

Latest news

21.9.2023
Mesoline got invited to give a talk at the MEMS & Imaging Sensors summit in France

Mesoline got invited to give a talk at the MEMS & Imaging Sensors summit in Grenoble, France from September 19 – 21, 2023. The summit will bring together leaders and industry experts to discuss the latest MEMS and imaging technologies and how they can significantly impact future product developments and applications.