Press release
Muzzano, Switzerland
December 14th, 2021
FEMTOprint SA is launching a Photonics Business Unit in Neuchâtel, Switzerland
As of February 1st, 2022, under the management of Dr. Rolando Ferrini, the new Business Unit will pursue the company’s growth in photonics and specifically micro-optics. It is the occasion for FEMTOprint SA to come closer to its partners in the region and to expand its microfabrication offer for photonics and micro-optics applications, while reinforcing its collaborations and partnerships within the Microcity’s excellency hub.
Founded in 2013 in Ticino (Switzerland) and employing 30 highly skilled professionals, FEMTOprint SA (“FEMTOprint”) is a high-tech Contract Manufacturing and Development Organization (CMDO) specialized in high-precision 3D printing for glass microdevices.
The project in brief
With the strategic launch of its new Business Unit in Neuchâtel (Switzerland), at the heart of the Swiss pole for innovation, where photonics, micro-optics, precision mechanics, watchmaking, and medical device manufacturing come together, the company opens its first specialized unit to strengthen its offer in a wide range of customer segments and empower cutting edge high-precision micromachining in glass for photonics and micro-optics applications. These latter domains are currently going through a very exciting transformation, where processes and technologies are being miniaturized to come-up with disruptive products, while increasing throughput and reducing costs. Within this fast-evolving scenario, also called “the photonics and micro-optics revolution”, FEMTOprint, as a pioneer and market leading company in high-precision 3D printing for glass micro-devices, will continue investing in technology to support its customers with specialized know-how along the entire product development phase. The new Business Unit in Neuchâtel will have the initial role to drive the further expansion of the FEMTOPRINT® microfabrication platform to fulfill the high-quality standards required by photonics and micro-optics applications, and to support with highly specialized engineering expertise the services offered to the customers. The manufacturing facility, located at the headquarter in Muzzano (Switzerland), will accompany the expansion of FEMTOPRINT® in the photonics industry with its proven industrial fabrication capabilities and broad R&D activities.
“Thanks to the local presence, the important investments in technology and the competencies of Dr. Rolando Ferrini, FEMTOprint will intensify the collaborations and synergies with partners and customers in the region, especially offering faster support, greater know-how and shortening the product development time.”, says Nicoletta Casanova, CEO and President of FEMTOprint, adding “Our goal is to continue to drive innovation with agile development and microfabrication solutions, which enable our customers to be disruptive on their specialized markets and us to meet customers’ high expectations”.
With his important background in physics and his deep knowledge of the photonics and micro-/nano-optics industry, Dr. Ferrini will contribute massively to the development of the Photonics Business Unit of FEMTOprint. “I was always impressed by the innovative FEMTOPRINT® technology and could appreciate in several contexts the innovation and high-quality standards of the company. Having the opportunity to support the continuous development and growth of FEMTOprint, reinforcing the collaboration with customers and research partners at national and international level, will be an exciting challenge”, declares Dr. Rolando Ferrini, Head of the newborn Photonics Business Unit. He adds: “The glass 3D microfabrication of (free-form) micro-optics and micro-lens arrays as well as of components for photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and packaging will be only part of the increased offer of FEMTOprint, which I will help to develop further”.
FEMTOprint is a well-established entity on the national and international scene and best known for its highly qualitative and reliable services, from product development to rapid prototyping, up to wafer-scale, industrial series manufacturing. The customer portfolio is well distributed among global, leading organizations, SMEs, young, talented start-ups, and researchers. Microcity, the innovation hub of Neuchâtel, is the ideal location to expand its consultancy and engineering activities.“Microcity is honored to host the new subsidiary of FEMTOprint SA in our vibrant ecosystem and hub, where synergies are created and meeting moments for creative minds are stimulated”, says Fabian Käser, Responsible SME Program at Microcity SA, Neuchâtel.
The division will be officially operational starting from February 1st, 2022.
About FEMTOprint
Founded in 2013, FEMTOprint is a pioneer and market leader in high-precision, 3D printing of glass microdevices.
The business activities focus on the Contract Development and Manufacturing, from prototyping to series manufacturing at wafer-level of custom-designed microsystems. The FEMTOPRINT® microfabrication platforms are conceived and assembled in-house to fulfill internal manufacturing needs and support academic partners in boosting their innovative ideas.
The groundbreaking platform enables the creation of a large variety of 3D microdevices in many different applications, for example in micro-optics, photonics, microfluidics, micromechanics, and microelectronics, serving industries such as biotechnology, life sciences, medical devices, watchmaking, automotive, aerospace, semiconductors, and emerging markets. The company employs 30 team members and is certified ISO13485, having its manufactured products being used by customers in over 25 different countries, worldwide.
The fabrication principle is a subtractive, 3D printing technology based upon a two-step manufacturing process, whereas ultrafast laser exposure and wet etching development enable truly free-form surface/volume definition in glass materials. With a monolithic approach to avoid challenging assembly and alignment steps, it enables the integration of different functionalities with a process resolution down to one micron and the technical offer is further expanded through the capability to apply additional processes, such as laser welding, polishing, ablation and functional coatings.
About Dr. Rolando Ferrini
Rolando Ferrini (Group Leader MicroNano Optics & Head of the Focus Area Photonics at CSEM and Managing Director of the PHABULOuS Pilot Line) joined CSEM in 2011, where he is Group Leader MicroNano Optics at CSEM Center Muttenz and Head of the CSEM Focus Area Photonics. Since 2020 he coordinates the H2020 project PHABULOuS and acts as Managing Director of the corresponding pilot line for the manufacturing of freeform micro-optical components. In 1999, he obtained his PhD degree in Physics at the Università degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia, Italy, with a thesis on the optical properties of III-V semiconductor materials for electronics and optoelectronics. From 2000 to 2004, he worked as Research Associate at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland, where he studied the optical properties of semiconductor-based photonic crystal devices. From 2004 to 2011, as Senior Research Associate at EPFL, he was in charge of the activities on organic devices for optics, photonics and lighting.
For further information, please contact:
Nicoletta Casanova, CEO
+41(0) 91 960 10 70
nicoletta.casanova@femtoprint.ch
Rolando Ferrini
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolando-ferrini/
Nicoletta Casanova
CEO & President
Disclaimer of liability
The material and information contained in this document is for general information purposes only. Reader should not rely upon the material or information in this document as a basis for making any business, legal or any other decision. Whilst we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, FEMTOprint makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability with respect to the document or the information contained herein for any purpose. Any reliance the reader place on such material is thereof strictly at his own risk.
