Plasma-Therm and Smoltek commit to carbon-based technology development

USA & SWEDEB: Plasma-Therm and Smoltek have entered a partnership to develop carbon-based growth and device technologies.

Carbon nanofibers (CNF) have been demonstrated as having applications for micro-bumps, enhanced thermal interface material and layer-to-layer micro-vias. Each of these applications addresses important needs in evolving semiconductor chip fabrication and packaging, provides specific advantages over existing technologies, and is CMOS-process compatible.

New applications such as CNF-enhanced electrodes for supercapacitors, on-chip signal filtering capacitors, and antireflective films for optical uses are also emerging as the CNF technology develops.

Over the last eight years Smoltek has built a strong IP portfolio available for licensing, providing a platform technology to enable controlled growth of substrate-based nanostructures and their related implementation in devices. By joining with Plasma-Therm, a leading semiconductor plasma processing equipment supplier, R&D efforts will accelerate, and more importantly, begin transferring the technology to an industrial platform.

Abdul Lateef, Plasma-Therm CEO, noted: “This relationship provides an important integration step that links fundamental material science and device-related structures with an accepted plasma processing platform. We are excited to make this investment and commitment in a technology that has such capability to change our industry.”

“Working closely at this stage with an equipment supplier is an industrial confirmation of our IPs and enables us to continue to secure development contracts with existing and new customers,” commented
Anders Johansson, Smoltek CEO. “Our CNF-based technology has the potential to open our participation in a variety of very large markets. Having the appropriate processing hardware in this phase is highly valuable.”