Jackson M.J. Micro and Nanomanufacturing

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Micro- and Nanomanufacturing 673

these technologies. The issues of market-demand versus technology

push, which still haunt the strategist, also must be carefully exam-

ined before any new developments are pursued.

Unlike more conventionally produced products, markets for

MNT products have unique characteristics, like the products them-

selves. For example, the markets for more conventional products in

which microsystems are embedded can be leveraged by a factor in

excess of 50 through enhancement and innovation. This is partly the

reason for variability in the estimates of market growth for products,

particularly in areas such as IT, medicine, and healthcare. Realistic

roadmaps and market surveys can be of great value in formulating

market strategies. They help reduce risks but do not eliminate them.

The basic issues associated with developing a new MNT product

and taking it to market is outlined below.

12.4.1 Commercialization Issues

The full market exploitation of a technology requires a clear path to

commercialization. Such a path has many steps, which need to be

taken and understood before progress can be made in taking a new

product to market. MNT is really a set of novel enabling technolo-

gies that have product platforms extending across many domains.

While the mass production of components, particularly sensors

based largely on established IC technology is well developed; the

full production of new systems is inhibited by lack of manufacturing

capability and maturity. Commercialization requires a seamless tran-

sition from the laboratory-scale and prototype development to pro-

duction capability; both for batch processing for small to medium

scale and continuous processing for large-scale manufacture. MNT-

based products have special needs; the lack of human intervention

and the need for integrated manufacturing will require new method-

ologies. As nanotechnology develops, and if ever self-replication

becomes a reality, manufacturing will face profound new challenges

and take on new dimensions.

674 Micro- and Nanomanufacturing

12.4.2 Product -Market Interface

Micro- and nanotechnology will revolutionize manufacturing for

many existing industries. These technologies stimulate innovation

and have the potential to provide an unlimited range of new products

and services by leveraging skills from many different sectors. For

example, in the ink-jet printer the innovation is the design of the mi-

crofluidic jetting system. It revolutionized printing by replacing

conventional methods almost immediately with the result of produc-

ing a step-change in industry and eventually producing a greatly in-

creased market. This paradigm shift also resulted in changes to work

practices and the pattern of home activities. Printing was no longer

just for the office or professional environment but could be done at

home. The almost simultaneous development of the portable desktop

computer, enable people to do their own printing. This empower-

ment enables people to work from home, resulting in new types of

self-employment. Both these products have many embedded micro-

components and microsystems that are linked by a common market.

Pressure sensors are another example of product with generic

application areas. They are imbedded into products used across

many sectors of industry from applications in automobiles to diag-

nostic instruments in medicine. The leveraging effect they can have

will substantially increase the value of the product and the size of its

market. This ubiquitous nature of microsystems makes them univer-

sally useful. Once generic designs are established, customization is

less costly. Most of the cost is transferred to packaging, which can

represent up to 80% of the cost of production.

MNT can provide a single solution to problems across multiple

industries rather than a single, market-driven application. This can

change a company's strategic approach to product development as

many applications and markets can be pursued for one product thus

increasing market share at a reduced cost. In excess of 60 industries

have been identified as early adopters of MNT and have gained

market benefits. The challenge for commercialization is reduction of

the time-to-market and a profitable return on investment [16]. Fig-

ure 12.35 illustrates the movement across a timeline that is necessary

for an investor to show in a viable business plan. This is particularly

Micro- and Nanomanufacturing 675

relevant for small companies where cash flow dominates profitabil-

ity and survival of the business.

Cash tew benefitssibr reduced time to market

Income

Expenditure

Fig. 12.35. Movement across a timeline that is necessary for an investor to show a

viable business plan

12.4.3 Commercialization Infrastructure

It has now accepted that one of the barriers to commercialization of

MNT is the lack of suitable infrastructure for supporting R&D,

product development and manufacturing of an end product. A num-

ber of Government support programs and projects exist in some

European and Asia-Pacific countries and in the United States for

building or improving deficient infrastructure. But these are often

not focused to provide the necessary range of equipment, expertise

and facilities to meet the challenges of manufacturing. Recent large-

scale funding support by many Governments for supporting

676 Micro- and Nanomanufacturing

nanotechnology R&D has boosted confidence but it will take some

time for this funding to filter down and benefit the manufacturing

industry. The support for nanotechnology has distorted the develop-

ment process as most companies still require further funded devel-

opment for microdevices and systems. They see nanotechnology

products as being too far in the future. The initial rush of investors

has been curtailed by the long-term reality.

Nanotechnology, like its larger scale microtechnology, is disrup-

tive.

It is unstructured with uncertain technological outcomes mak-

ing commercialization difficult to quantify and justify financially.

However, although MNT products can be technologically revolu-

tionary in nature, commercialization of them is usually incremental.

This at least makes incorporating it into an existing business regime

less risky. The rate of incorporation is governed by market demand.

It is sometimes easy to identify a market but not to enter it.

Customers do not like change, particularly where legislation and

regulation issues are involved which is the reason the medical mar-

ket has been cautious and slow to react. The opposite situation can

occur, however, as in the optical communications market where

technological innovation exceeded market demand resulting in over

capacity of supply and many companies becoming financially over

committed and failing. It produced a knock-on effect resulting in

massive decline in the industry, which adversely affected many large

and small companies. This taught the industry a hard lesson that

will make the next product push move more slowly. It will be in the

health care diagnostic market where regulation and public accep-

tance will dictate the pace of market growth.

The acceptance level of MNT is different for companies of

dif-

ferent sizes. Small companies are more adaptable to change as their

management structure is able to make quicker decisions, sometimes

survival may depend on bringing a new product to market to fill a

niche. Large companies often have an infrastructure and a manage-

ment system in which a Board of Directors make decisions. This can

often produce a delay and even prevent new product innovation

from being implemented thus losing a competitive edge in the mar-

ket. The organization of a nation's commercial infrastructure and

the extent of the free market economy also determine market growth

in particular sectors. In countries where health care has a higher pri-

Micro- and Nanomanufacturing 677

ority than automobiles then suppHers will be seeking appropriate

products. This will then drive new developments.

12.4.4 Supply Chain Networks

A supply chain network is an important element in building a com-

mercialization infrastructure. This must incorporate technology and

knowledge support, training, design, prototyping, manufacture, and

marketing. Each one of these areas can be divided up into segments.

This gives opportunities to small companies and start-ups to become

parts of the supply chain. A point of entry and a clear path to market

are essential, particularly for small to medium size companies. Each

step in the commerciahzation process as shown in Fig. 12.36 must

be understood.

Technological

capabilities

Technology push

research

Utilizing

micrufabrication

techniques to

prototype

micro-machines

Force

fit

prototypes

Nonexistent

market ~

channels

Primarily developed for

internal caUomcrs

industrial

manufacturing

Modification oi existing

micrulithographic equipment

Modifications to

existing processes

Initial

market

acceptance

One market accepts device

technology then

industry specific

industry vchiclfs emerge

1 ^ Rnttlf>nerlcs,

technological

development

New micro machine based

lithography collapsed

piggybacked infrastructure

Market

* augmentation

New markets utilize existing

product-technology

paradigm forming

product platforms

newsletters and composition

^ <itMp

new

technology

Micromachincs

SSM lithography |

Robust

infrastructure

New

*" markets

Inertia! sonsing

devices for !

multiple

applications

Market pull

Fig. 12.36. Infrastructure model for discontinuous innovations

678 Micro- and Nanomanufacturing

Stage 1 is basic research and non-existent markets. Existing

technologies need to be modified for non-silicon processes to force

fit between manufacturers and markets. In Stage 2, the technology-

market-product paradigm starts. Business entrepreneurs enter and

small numbers of products emerge. At Stage 3 bottlenecks occur as a

a result of technology development and market augmentation issues.

New products possibilities are reviewed and investments made.

Production and market issues such as packaging and capital equip-

ment suppliers and customers are important. Stage 4 is where the

technology and markets are stable and a robust infrastructure

emerges. Large companies now take over from small companies and

start-ups. The entrepreneur is replaced by the sales engineer and

strategic market planning exists.

12.4.5 Product Manufacture

Packaging, Testing, and Standardisation

Design and packaging technology is key to the manufacture of

commercial microproducts and can represent up to 80% of their cost.

It is fundamental to product functionality and is required to inter-

connect, protect and provide an interface between microsystems and

the macroworld to facilitate human interaction in the working and

living environment.

Packaging is the less developed of all micromanufacturing tech-

nologies and is currently considered to be the major obstacle to mi-

croproduct and microsystems commercialization. Until recently

packaging was considered only after a component or sub-systems

had been designed and developed as a concept. This inevitably

causes problems at the assembly and packaging stage owing to a va-

riety of incompatibility problems. Packaging solutions must be inte-

gral to the design process and significantly reduce manufacturing

costs.

Four levels of packaging can be required to enable micro-

components to be inter-connected and integrated into a fully func-

Micro- and Nanomanufacturing 679

tional end product. For microsystems, they are: die, wafer level

processing, subsystem, and assembly of subsystems to system

(product). These are analogous to chip, card, board, and system in

the silicon-based integrated circuit.

Design, assembly, bonding, encapsulation processes, materials,

reliability, environmental issues, and functionality all provide major

challenges to packaging. This is why design and packaging tech-

nologies constitute the largest proportion of manufacturing costs.

The lack of agreed standardization is serious disadvantage to

wide-scale manufacture. It inhibits expansion of a market sector as

suppliers cannot acquire compatible components and sub-systems.

Various international groups such as SEMI and NEXUS have set up

standards committees that are becoming proactive is attempting to

obtain agreement between manufacturers on standards. This is in re-

sponse to users demands for standards in interfaces, signal connec-

tors and microfluidic connections. Other important areas include

electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), electromagnetic interfacing

(EMI) and radio frequency interface (RFI) standards to be applied at

the design stage. Currently industry generally follows IC standards

but many of these are inadequate or unsuitable for microproducts.

12.4.6 Manufacturing Centers

There are very few, if any, centers in the world dedicated to the de-

velopment of manufacturing technologies, whereas in almost all

countries extensive R&D facilities and centers exist. This over em-

phasis on R&D driven by academic research has been a principal

reason for the retardation in commercialization. Most of the knowl-

edge and experience resides in such centers. Manufacturing is in the

domain of industry. Prototyping and the R&D needed to achieve

success are often expensive and lacking. Very few small companies

can afford to carry this out and therefore are excluded from the mar-

ket unless they collaborate commercially with larger companies or

have access to central facilities. This lack of pre-production proto-

typing facilities has now been extensively recognized as a barrier to

commercialization and has stimulated some countries to initiate

680 Micro- and Nanomanufacturing

plans to build such centers. An example of such a proposal is out-

lined below

12.4.7 The UK-NMPC Proposal

A proposal to develop a National Microsystems Packaging Center

(NMPC) in the North West of England, now reaching its final stage,

was made by the North West Development Agency in

2003.

This

will fill a much-needed gap in the UK infrastructure and will be a

model for others to follow. If successfully completed it will place

the UK in a leading and competitive position for prototype devel-

opment and realization.

The NMPC will provide customers access to a competitive and

comprehensive microsystems packaging service to realise manufac-

turable products for specific applications from conceptual designs

through to pre-production prototypes and low volume pilot produc-

tion, as visualised in Fig. 12.37.

The Center will be established primarily to supply customer

needs through a commercially based service by providing design,

modeling and simulation, prototyping, assembly, test and reliability

facilities. Combined with volume-manufacturing techniques, it will

enable products to be scaled down for high volume. Opportunities

for limited volume production will be made available. This is par-

ticularly important for customers with products of high value but

low in volume.

Actual development of the microstructures or microsystems will

be carried out elsewhere as the Center will be mainly concerned with

design, prototj^^ing, and pre-production work for product qualifica-

tion and any supporting R&D that is required.

The overriding benefit of the Center will be its effect on cash

outlay and product development costs. It will obviate the need for

customers to invest in expensive development equipment, thereby

saving both manpower and capital; it will reduce the time-to-market,

and hence increase the return on investment of new microsystems-

based products. This is an essential element to any commercializa-

tion strategy.

Micro-and Nanomanufacturing 681

Nano end-product realisation top-down

Concept dcsign-protol)T)c-end product manufacture

(Follow same route as microproducts)

End product qualification

Reliability and testing

Pilot production

/ y^

Reliability and testing

if Pre-production prototype manufacture

^ / y^

/ \

Inspection

Integration

assembly of components

NanO'Componcnt fabrication

^ .

. '

Modelling simulation

Product developmpnt

Concept

Fig. 12.37. Model adopted by the NMPC to realize product development and

manufacture of micro-and nanotechnology products

682 Micro- and Nanomanufacturing

12.4.8 Micro-Nanotechnology Markets

Market information and guidance material for strategists can be

found in a number of market surveys and roadmaps that have been

recently published. Technology and market roadmaps are particu-

larly useful as they present a 'state-of-the-art" of the various tech-

nologies and give useful insight and foresight for information.

Walsh [17] carried out the first a detailed study on international

roadmapping for a disruptive technology focused on microtechnol-

ogy and a top-down nanotechnology. This provided the basis for the

development and publication of the first international roadmap on

the subject, by MANCEF (Micro-and Nanotechnology Commer-

cialization Educational Foundation), involving 400 people over a pe-

riod of

years [18]. This stimulated the publication of another inter-

national Product-Technology Roadmap by NEXUS [19] the

European organisation, (Network of Excellence in Multifunctional

Microsystems).

NEXUS also published a market analysis [20] carried out by its

Task Force. This predicts a rapid increase in the growth for micro-

system-based products, from a global figure of about $40 billion in

2002 to $68 billion in 2005. Emerging new products and applica-

tions are expected to produce a 20% annual growth in the market. In

Europe the market alone for products based on the use of micro-

devices has increase to $550 billion since 1996. These figures are

linked to more than 70 different application areas. The mass markets

and main fields of application are dominated by IT peripherals, bio-

medical, automotive, and telecommunications. Ink-jet printers, dis-

plays,

and data storage for computers and sensors for automotive

applications were early adopters and drivers of microsystem tech-

nology; biomedical diagnostic and health care products are expected

to lead in the near future. RF-based microsystems will likely spear-

head the drive for new products.

Market forecasts are driven by business and policy specialists

eager to gain a competitive advantage and unfortunately are often

out of phase with reality. It is generally agreed that anticipated mar-

ket sizes, growth rates, and the development of new markets are very

different for different applications of MNT products. Market predic-

tions or forecasts must therefore always be viewed with qualification