Engineers at The University of Texas at Austin are leading a collaborative effort to change how semiconductor chips are produced, using a new 3D printing method known as Holographic Metasurface Nano-Lithography (HMNL). This technique is designed to speed up the production of advanced electronics and make the process more efficient and environmentally friendly.
According to Michael Cullinan, associate professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering and leader of the team, “Our goal is to fundamentally change how electronics are packaged and manufactured. With HMNL, we can create complex, multimaterial structures in a single step, reducing production time from months to days.”
The research group includes partners from the University of Utah, Applied Materials, Bright Silicon Technologies, Electroninks, Northrop Grumman, NXP Semiconductors and Texas Microsintering. Their work is supported by a $14.5 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
Current methods for manufacturing electronics involve layering materials step by step. This not only slows down production but also limits design options and creates material waste. The HMNL approach uses metasurfaces—ultra-thin optical masks that encode dense information—to generate holograms when exposed to light. These holograms allow for precise patterning of metal-polymer hybrid resins into detailed 3D structures with resolutions finer than a human hair.
By removing several production steps and cutting down on waste, this process reduces environmental impact while enabling faster development of unique prototypes.
The project has resulted in four prototypes with different uses:
– A fan-out module for consumer devices
– Prototypes for high-frequency communication in defense systems
– Electronics packages designed for challenging spaces
– Structures combining mechanical and electrical functions such as beam-pointing systems
“This isn’t just about making electronics faster or cheaper; it’s about unlocking new possibilities,” Cullinan said.
Plans are underway to commercialize this technology through Texas Microsintering Inc., a startup founded by Cullinan.
