Microchannel Particle Deposition for MEMS & Sensors Applications
Microchannel Particle Deposition (MPD), developed by Mesoline, is a novel microfabrication technology enabling high-precision material deposition on 6- and 8-inch wafers. This wafer-scale process supports diverse applications, including: (1) Metal Oxide Gas Sensors: MPD deposits multiple metal oxides with micron-scale precision, enabling low-power, uniform gas sensors on up to 10,000 dies in approximately 10 minutes. (2) Glass Frit Bonding Lines: MPD prints narrow (~20 µm) and high (~10 µm) bonding lines, surpassing the resolution of traditional screen printing (~150 µm), enhancing device miniaturization. (3) Hydrogen Getters for Thermopiles: MPD creates high-aspect-ratio hydrogen getters directly on CMOS wafers, improving device form factors and optical fields of view. This presentation will explore MPD’s underlying principles and its transformative applications in advanced microfabrication.
BIOGRAPHY
After earning a bachelor’s in physics from the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands, Thomas moved to Los Angeles to complete his master’s degree at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he studied the application of microchannel particle deposition (MPD) technology under prof. Harry Atwater.
In 2017 he spun-out Mesoline from this research, which led to him being recognized as a Forbes 30 under 30 entrepreneur in 2019. In the same year, after relocating to the Netherlands to expand Mesoline, Thomas raised a $2.5M Horizon 2020 grant from the European Commission and several $M from private investors, which enabled him to further accelerate the development of the MPD technology to a reliable process.
In 2021, he successfully sold Mesoline to Aalberts N.V. and currently is working on ensuring further growth of the company, market entry of Mesoline with the MPD technology in 2025 for several MEMS, sensors and packaging markets.