3D integration is a rapidly emerging technology which vertically stacks and interconnects multiple materials, technologies, and components to form micro- and nanosystems for applications such as implantable medical devices, intelligent sensors and the radio frequency devices found in mobile phones.

3D integration is a very promising area of technological development and shows huge economic potential. This state-of-the-art technology relies on robotic pick-and-place machines and machine vision, which cannot be both fast and accurate at the same time. If high precision, e.g. a micrometer is needed, the cycle times for integration can be very considerable.

The FAB2ASM project will overcome these limits by marrying traditional robotic tools with the physics of self-alignment, where tiny chips will align owing to the surface tension of the liquid or other physical forces.

FAB2ASM will develop a technology which not only reuses most of the industrial process steps but also improves the performance of the integration process in terms of precision and efficiency. It will allow the handling of small (100 µm) and/or thin dies (20 µm) and ultra high-speed assembly.

It will improve the competitiveness of European nano- and ?-manufacturing by going beyond state-of-the-art integration technology. The partners in the consortium represent a major share of European industry in nano- and micro manufacturing. With the results of FAB2ASM, the project is expected to improve the market share in microsystem devices by up to 5%.

In contrast to many other new technologies, which use a totally different process than that of the current industrial base, FAB2ASM technologies are able to preserve the current investment from industry and re-exploit a great deal of technological know-how. FAB2ASM will provide technology which enables innovative products to be produced competitively, while counterbalancing the trend of outsourcing production to low-wage economies.