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HUDSON, Mass. Aug. 23, 2004 – Call it the art of making cheap knockoffs, at the nanoscale.
Holographix LLC, a 10-person startup in suburban Boston, knows it has neither the resources nor the expertise to fabricate nanoscale components. So the team has put its efforts in another valuable niche of nanoscale manufacturing: making inexpensive replicas of components that others have fabricated already.
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The technology works by pressing down a specially made polymer against the original component, “baking” it with ultraviolet light, and then peeling it away, much like batter squeezed into a waffle iron.
What’s the breakthrough? Often, a substance so strong, but also that gentle, will not stick to a substrate, making the replicas difficult to manipulate in large numbers. Holographix has developed other adhesives so the replicas can be affixed to a substrate as needed.
“That’s our technology,” chief executive officer David Rowe said. “We have the chemistry down, and that’s where people say the problem is today.”
The replica material is an ultraviolet curable polymer, nearly chemically inert. Rowe won’t describe it in any further detail, nor will he say anything about the adhesive he uses for the substrate layer.
Right now Holographix works on components ranging in size from 20 microns, down to several hundred nanometers, Rowe said. The company has also examined replicas with electron microscopes and seen blemishes as small as 10 nanometers replicated, a size range Rowe hopes to exploit as future components grow smaller.
Micro-Continuum Corp., for example, a startup in nearby Cambridge, Mass., provides a master component, which Holographix then replicates in large numbers. The finished product, a substrate with many copies of the structure affixed to it, is then used as a stamping tool to imprint a design on an embossing surface the company is developing.
Another customer attempting to make nano-ink displays (which Rowe declined to name), needed to replicate micro-wells that could hold ink molecules to make visual displays. “That’s a pretty straightforward task to us,” he said.
Dennis Slafer, MicroContinuum’s chief technology officer, said the replicas bond to numerous substrate materials he has supplied to Holographix, and they pass muster nearly as well as a nickel-plated master tool.
“It’s not quite as durable as nickel, but it’s strong… and it’s pretty versatile material,” Slafer said.
Exactly how large a market exists for holographic replication, however, remains unclear.
“In concept, it’s a good idea,” said Glenn Horner, vice president of Aprilis Inc., a maker of holographic optical storage equipment in nearby Maynard, Mass.
Aprilis itself uses holography to make structures several hundred microns thick. But, Horner said, the underlying principles can be applied far down the scale; and when done properly, can be much simpler to execute than “direct” replication techniques such as carving a structure with electron beams.
“Optical holography is a great way to make small structures over large areas,” Horner said. The real challenge, he said, is to find the right polymer chemistry so the replicas work with the specific final application that needs them.
Holographix traces its history back to 1985. It started as a spinoff from Honeywell to develop holographic imaging techniques for desktop printers and scanners, and in the early 1990s reorganized to license such technology to manufacturers. Next came several years of trying to sell its services replicating gratings and mirrors for optical networks.
Avanex Corp. scooped up Holographix in 2000 for $75 million at the height of the telecom craze, expecting to replicate optical components. Instead, the industry imploded.
By 2002 Holographix was failing, and Rowe (who has worked for the company his entire career) bought the business back at a rock-bottom price. Avanex even threw in $1-million worth of capital equipment upgrades.
“Our technology was under control, and we had equipment know how we didn’t have in 1999.” Rowe said. Today he splits ownership with one other investor.
Holographix currently has 20 regular customers from industries ranging from aerospace to life sciences. The company started turning a profit earlier this spring, and it should hit $1 million in revenues this year, according to Rowe. Presently, there are 10 employees, five full-time and five part-time.
Company
Headquarters
577 Main St., Suite 260
Hudson, Mass. 01749
History
In 1985 Holographix was spun off from Honeywell’s Electro-Optics division. The company shifted from its original focus of holographic printer and scanner imaging, targeting sales of optical gratings and mirrors. In 2000 Avanex bought the company just before the bottom fell out of the optical market. CEO David Rowe was able to repurchase Holographix in 2002; the firm now has approximately 20 customers.
Industries potentially served
Optical Equipment
Small tech-related products and services
Holographix inexpensively replicates existing components by creating a polymer-based mold, “baking” it in ultraviolet light, and removing the polymer. The company has developed adhesives that allow the component replicas to attach to substrates. Holographix is able to accurately replicate components from approximately 20 microns down to several hundred nanometers in size.
Employees
10 (five full-time, five part-time)
Management
David Rowe: chief executive officer and co-owner
Financials
$1 million in revenues projected for 2004; the company has been profitable since spring of this year. Past funding has come from Chatham Venture Corp., Eastech Management Co. and Interwest Partners.
Selected strategic partners, customers
Micro-Continuum Corp.
Barriers to market
Although Holographix LLC’s technology is straightforward and results in a strong, durable product, there is not necessarily an established need for this polymer-based replication capability.
Relevant patents
Holographic recording and scanning system and method
Scanner system having rotating deflector hologram
Contact
Tel: (978) 562-4474
Fax: (978) 562-4182
Email: [email protected]
Research by Gretchen McNeely
H+ Technology is very fortunate to have been able to interview Athomas, who shared his thoughts on the importance of building physical communication and connections beyond the digital world.