Smartkem, which is seeking to change the world of electronics with a new class of transistor technology, have announced that they have entered into a collaboration with Manz Asia, a developer of production solutions for semiconductor advanced packaging manufacturing sectors.

The collaboration includes the demonstration of inkjet printable dielectric layers for use in advanced computer and AI chip packaging solutions at this year's SEMICON SEA in Singapore, May 20-22, 2025. Smartkem Chair and CEO, Ian Jenks, commented: "We're thrilled to be working with Manz Asia to address a fast-growing opportunity in the market for advanced computer and AI chip packaging.

“As the demand for AI leads to increasingly complex servers, our materials combined with Manz Asia's printing technology have the potential to enable large area panel chip packaging beyond the existing constraints of today's 300mm wafer packaging. Panel level packaging is a market expected to grow to approximately $600 million in 2030, a 27% compound annual growth rate from 2024."

Manz Asia General Manger, Robert Lin, said: "Manz Asia is committed to advancing green manufacturing and smart production through the development of high-precision inkjet printing equipment.

"Our maskless inkjet technology enables accurate material deposition and supports a wide range of inks, making it suitable for various substrates—including PI, ABF, EMC, silicon, and glass—in both wafer and panel formats. The collaboration with Smartkem marks a significant step in demonstrating how our inkjet platform, combined with next-generation dielectric materials, can deliver scalable and sustainable solutions for semiconductor advanced packaging."

Building on the UV curable dielectric layer chemistry developed at Smartkem's R&D facility for thin film transistor fabrication, Smartkem has designed ink formulations suitable for use in advanced computer and AI chip packaging applications. These inks have been co-developed with Manz Asia to be compatible with its existing inkjet-based semiconductor production equipment.

Panel level packaging on rectangular wafers offers key advantages over traditional packaging on circular wafers, including:

  • Higher throughput,as a larger print area means more chips can be packaged simultaneously;
  • Lower cost per chipfrom economies of scale with use of printed circuit board like manufacturing equipment;
  • Better material utilizationfrom less edge loss compared to circular wafers; and
  • Improved integrationsupported by complex fan-out wafer-level packaging at a larger scale.

Smartkem is seeking to change the world of electronics with a new class of transistors developed using its proprietary advanced semiconductor materials. Their TRUFLEX semiconductor polymers enable low temperature printing processes that are compatible with existing manufacturing infrastructure to deliver low-cost, high-performance displays, and their semiconductor platform can be used in a range of display technologies including MicroLED, LCD and AMOLED, as well as in applications in advanced computer and AI chip packaging, sensors, and logic. 

Smartkem designs and develops its materials at its research and development facility in Manchester, UK and provides prototyping services at the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) in Sedgefield, UK. It operates a field application office in Hsinchu, Taiwan, close to collaboration partner, The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). They are developing a commercial-scale production process and Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools to demonstrate the commercial viability of manufacturing a new generation of displays using its materials.

The company has an extensive IP portfolio including 138 granted patents across 17 patent families, 16 pending patents and 40 codified trade secrets. For more information, visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn.

Manz Asia is a leading manufacturer of advanced semiconductor equipment, driving technological innovation and process excellence within the CoPoS (CoWoS panelization) technology framework for panel-level packaging. They offer comprehensive equipment solutions encompassing wet chemistry, plating, digital printing, automation, and proprietary software integration for Redistribution Layer (RDL) process—from lab-scale to mass production.

Their technologies support key applications in Fan-Out Panel-Level Packaging (FOPLP), Through Glass Via (TGV), and IC substrates, covering critical stages of semiconductor packaging. By enhancing production efficiency, optimizing process quality, and strengthening market competitiveness, Manz Asia empowers the semiconductor industry to achieve higher standards of excellence.