SCIL Nanoimprint Solutions is a provider of nanoscale imprinting equipment for patterning wafers leveraging its unique technology of Substrate Conformal Imprint Lithography (SCIL). The company is targeting the creation of optical structures on wafers for emerging applications in silicon photonics modules and smart glasses.
Active in the market since 2015, SCIL Nanoimprint Solutions, originally a business unit of Philips, utilizes patented stamp transfer technology to create process equipment and processes for creating specialized optical structures on wafers. For example, it can create lightguide structures on wafers to enable direct chip-to-fiber connections, driving the fabrication of high-speed optical communication structures.
Following the internal installation and testing of the first AutoSCIL tool in 2016, the company officially began mass production and delivered equipment to customers from 2017 onwards. In 2023, with investment from venture capital funds and other investors, the company was officially spun out from Philips to become an independent operating company. The company is targeting applications in optical communication semiconductors, including high-speed optical communication chips for data centers, advanced packaging silicon photonics systems, and ultra-compact optical elements for smart glasses and augmented reality devices. The product portfolio spans advanced imprint equipment, tailored optical materials, and optimized processes. As these are all key areas of focus for the next phase of AI-related applications, the company is attracting significant industry attention.
These nanostructures and precision structures utilize processes such as imprinting precise patterns onto wafers using glass materials, serving as light-guiding structures for fiber-optic communication systems. Furthermore, some are manufactured as lens modules, imprinting optical components onto wafers. The existing equipment can achieve optical structures with critical dimensions down to 10 nanometersand sub-nanometer surface roughness.
The company's process equipment is differentiated by wafer size, supporting 4-inch, 6-inch, 8-inch, and 12-inch sizes. The process includes resist deposition, overlay alignment, nano-imprinting, , and curing to complete the 2D or 3D patterning process. Targeting two key and highly anticipated applications, smart glasses and CPO (co-packaged optics), Taiwan is a high potential market for SCIL Nanoimprint Solutions, with the Taiwanese semiconductor industry focused on optoelectronic chips, high-speed communications, and advanced heterogeneous packaging technologies.