ECSEL project APPLAUSE focusing on developing packaging for photonics, optics and electronics for low-cost manufacturing

A consortium of 31 European electronics packaging, optics and photonics key players, equipment suppliers and testing experts have launched the three-year project ‘Advanced packaging for photonics, optics and electronics for low cost manufacturing in Europe’ (called ‘APPLAUSE’), which aims to foster the European semiconductor value chain by building new tools, methods and processes for high-volume manufacturing. The €34m total budget is co-funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program as well as national funding agencies and industries (in Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Finland, Austria, France, Hungary, Latvia, Norway, Switzerland and Israel), as a part of the Electronics Components and Systems for European Leadership joint undertaking (ECSEL JU) under grant agreement number 826588.

The APPLAUSE project is coordinated by Belgium-based ICOS Vision Systems N.V. (a division of KLA Corp) and has partners from 11 countries, including 10 large enterprises, 11 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and 10 research and technology organisations. “APPLAUSE will focus on advanced optics, photonics and electronics packaging for multi-modal sensing systems,” said Pieter Vandewalle, general manager of ICOS, at the project’s kickoff meeting in Leuven, Belgium on 21 May. “High-volume manufacturing is supported by a strong contribution from process and process control equipment R&D,” he added. “The technologies will be piloted in six use cases, each having an industrial end user.”

The six use cases include a substantially smaller 3D integrated ambient light sensor for mobile and wearable applications (Austria’s ams AG); a high-performance, low-cost, uncooled thermal IR sensor for automotive and surveillance applications (Norway’s IDEAS); high-speed datacom transceivers with reduced manufacturing costs (Israel’s DustPhotonics); a flexible cardiac monitoring patch (Finland’s Precordior); miniaturized cardiac implants with advanced monitoring capabilities (Norway’s Cardiaccs); and an optical water measurement module with cost-effective packaging of components (Finland’s Vaisala).

“This collaborative project builds the competitive edge of component and systems development in Europe,” says Paula Pennanen, project manager at APPLAUSE’s coordination support Spinverse. “We develop new capabilities and demonstrate their match to the future needs of European industries. This accelerates the manufacturing uptake of the new technologies and shortens time-to-market,” she adds.

The expected project impacts may include an increase in revenue for the project partners, exceeding €300m, by 2025. The new technologies developed in the project have the potential for increased market share with additional access to new market segments for the industrial partners. The strategic, high-level objectives of APPLAUSE include (1) developing new tools, methods and processes for automated mass manufacturing and advanced packaging for the semiconductor, optics and photonics industries, (2) bringing advanced packaging and high-volume manufacturing concepts to optics and photonics via six industrial use cases, and (3) increasing the competitiveness and global market share of the European semiconductor industry, especially the manufacturing equipment, packaging and assembly industries.

Tags: Optical transceivers

Visit: www.applause-ecsel.eu

Visit: www.ecsel-ju.eu