CEO Discusses Ink Jet Printing for Semiconductor Equipment

Nick Flaherty recently sat down with Patrick Heisler and Patrick Galliker at Scrona as the Swiss startup announced a successful fundraising round of €4m. This investment comes as the company introduces its third generation ink jet print head, aimed at revolutionizing semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

Patrick Heisler, who assumed the role of CEO just last month, brings a wealth of experience in packaging technology from his time at TUM Munich and UC Berkeley. He joins Scrona from FrontierLight Technologies and Suse MikroOptics. Meanwhile, former CEO Patrick Galliker transitions to the position of CTO, emphasizing the company's commitment to technological advancement.

Speaking about the strategic shift, Galliker expressed his satisfaction, stating, "I am very happy about that development to focus on the technology." The recent bridge round of €4m will enable Scrona to scale up its third generation MEMS-based technology, specifically designed for semiconductor equipment used in microLED displays and chiplet substrates.

Heisler elaborated on the company's ambitious goals, saying, "We are aiming to replace 22 steps in semiconductor manufacturing and packaging with two steps." The Gen 3 print head, currently equipped with 8 nozzles, has the potential to scale up to 256 while maintaining a compact form factor.

Scrona's innovative approach has already yielded tangible results, with Heisler confirming, "It’s a real product and we are shipping it out to customers right now." The transition from Gen 1 and 2, which were primarily research and development tools, to Gen 3 signifies a significant leap forward in terms of automation and efficiency.

Looking ahead, the company envisions a version of the print head with 128 nozzles by Q1 2025. Heisler emphasized the scalability of the Gen 3 platform, highlighting the seamless transition from an 8 nozzle configuration to potentially accommodating up to 256 nozzles within the same package.