A recent eeNews article piqued my interest, revealing a company we haven’t yet explored – not that they have not been covered by the display industry before – and it’s high time Display Daily delved into their innovative technology. The company, Terecircuits, is a promising startup that has developed a photopolymer mass transfer technology for IC (integrated circuit) and display packaging. Its value proposition lies in improved yield, enhanced die release, mass component placement, and sustainability. With partnerships in place and a market strategy targeting semiconductor die attach and MicroLED display fabrication.
Terecircuits Primer
Terecircuits is a Mountain View, California-based startup founded in 2015. It has developed a photopolymer mass transfer technology, which aims to enhance traditional pick-and-place technology in IC and display packaging. The company focuses on MicroLED display panel assembly and system-in-packaging (SiP) components for IoT (Internet of Things) devices, where it claims its technology offers significant advantages.
Technology
Terecircuits’ innovative approach uses a thin layer of photopolymer (one micron or less) on a transparent plate to hold the die during the assembly process. To release the die, deep UV light is used to decompose the polymer. This decomposition turns the liquid polymer into a gas, which uniformly presses the die into place.
Value Proposition
- Improved yield: Terecircuits’ technology addresses the yield problems caused by ejector pins in conventional pick-and-place technology, which can damage fragile die.
- Enhanced die release: The technology can handle die release for extremely small devices (2 to 40 microns), where Van der Waals and electrostatic forces make release difficult.
- Mass component placement: Unlike conventional pick-and-place tools, Terecircuits’ technology allows for the simultaneous placement of thousands of components, achieving over 400,000 Units Per Hour (UPH) with sub-micron placement accuracy.
- Sustainability: The release process produces CO2 and water vapor as byproducts in minuscule amounts, and the low energy requirement (5 to 15mJ per square centimeter) supports the technology’s sustainability credentials.
Partnerships and Market Strategy
Terecircuits has joint development agreements with unnamed semiconductor manufacturers and is working with seven tool manufacturers. The company plans to announce its partners later in the year. Terecircuits expects to enter the market with a business model that includes photopolymer material sales and process licensing where appropriate. The initial target markets are semiconductor die attach in 2025 and MicroLED display fabrication in 2027.
Funding
Since its founding, Terecircuits has raised approximately $5.3 million in equity funding from business angels and received a $1.25 million National Science Foundation grant. The company plans to raise an additional round of funding.
