Flextech Alliance Awards contract to Etched in Time

The FlexTech Alliance, focused on developing the electronic display and the flexible, printed electronics industry supply chain, have announced the award of a contract to Etched in Time, Inc., totaling $324,000.

 

Under the contract, Etched in Time (EITI) will develop a linear plasma etch module using high density downstream processing in conjunction with reactive ion etch (RIE) for etching of dielectric films.

 

In the emerging advanced flexible microelectronics industry, dry plasma etch is frequently desired over wet etch. At the end of the six-month contract, EITI's module will be incorporated into the roll to roll system at Binghamton University's Center for Advanced Microelectronics Manufacturing (CAMM) facility in Upstate New York.

 

This new-type of plasma source, S -type direct, developed by EITI, will provide plasma for a variety of uses - plasma clean, adhesion promotion, and PECVD. "There are currently no plasma sources for roll to roll offered with proven precise, reactive ion etch-grade, dry etch processes," stated Robert Henderson, president of EITI, in Tempe, Ariz. "Our innovative S-shape, RF discharge source, offers a number of manufacturing advantages for printed electronics, such as high density plasma for low power, low cost construction, compact design, scalable to any linear length, and high uniformity."

 

The system is designed to be compatible with a range of roll to roll tools, offering a variety of companies in the industry the advantages obtainable through this new technology development.

 

"As one of the FlexTech project team leaders for Etched in Time, I'm pleased to see this critical requirement for flexible electronics fabrication addressed," noted Mark Poliks, director of research and development at Endicott Interconnect Technologies, Inc., (EI), as well as technical director for the CAMM. "We are looking forward to having the module installed at our facility, and proceeding with the follow-on work of refining the new process for different materials."

 

Etched in Time brings over 25 years of experience in design and development of sputtering, resist coating and etch systems to this project.

 

"Congratulations to Etched in Time and its entire team on receiving this important grant," Rep. Harry Mitchell (AZ-05) said. "EITI has a long history as an entrepreneur in the Phoenix area and has played a leading role in developing breakthrough technology that will pave the way for faster adoption of new innovations in Arizona and across the nation."

 

The FlexTech alliance program is a collaborative effort of private industry and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, located in Adelphi, MD.

The FlexTech alliance is the only organization headquartered in North America exclusively devoted to fostering the growth, profitability and success of the electronic display and the flexible, printed electronics supply chain.

 

Leveraging its rich history in promoting the display industry as the U.S. Display Consortium, the FlexTech alliance offers expanded collaboration between and among industry, academia, government, and research organizations for advancing displays and flexible, printed electronics from R&D to commercialization.

 

To this end, the FlexTech alliance, based in San Jose, Calif., will help foster development of the supply chain required to support a world-class, manufacturing capability for displays and flexible, printed electronics. More information about the FlexTech alliance can be found at the industry portal: www.flextech.org .

Etched in Time, Inc. (EITI), headquartered in Tempe, Ariz., is an engineering and equipment company specializing in semiconductor flat panel and solar equipment manufacturing.

 

With over 30 years of wafer process and related equipment development expertise, EITI provides companies with cost effective design and build for quicker time to market for process tools in the new emerging field of flexible electronics.

 

Projects include PVD sputtering, plasma etch/strip, and robotically controlled Flux Dispense systems. EITI also produces robots for wafer handling and PC based control systems on linear etch platforms for R2R processing required for manufacturing.

 

More information about Etched in Time, Inc. can be found at www.etchedintimeinc.com .