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Activity Funded

Microelectromechanical Systems Research Unit

Unidade de Investigação em Microssistemas Eletromecânicos

Reference
UID/04436/2025
Project Start Date
2025-01-01
Project End Date
2029-12-31
Principal Investigator
Scientific Area
Engineering and technology
Funding Program
Avaliação UID 2023/2024

Abstract

The strategic program is addressing two innovative demonstrators: the PIC (Photonic Integrated Circuits) Pilot Line and the VoxelAdd - Voxel based Hybrid Additive PBF -Powder Bed Fusion technology. Such technologies will be in-line with the European Chips Act program is supporting the Europe’s competitiveness and resilience in semiconductor technologies and applications, where chips are strategic assets for key industrial value chains. Also, multimaterial additive manufacturing is considered one future key technology. The PIC-PL challenge is the development and fabrication of advanced photonics technologies which have the potential to revolutionize an existing application sector as optical medical imaging (micro-physiological systems - MPS, also known as organ-on-a-chip technologies) and metalenses for applications in camera modules, displays, laser-based imaging, microscopy, spectroscopy and lithography. This will support a new generation of biophotonics methods and devices as research tools to understand the cellular origin of diseases and to focus on photonics-based in-vivo/in-vitro imaging systems and techniques which deliver deeper increased penetration, resolution, sensitivity, specificity and depth of focus which are lacking. The PIC-PL will fabricate optical microdevices applying different spectroscopy types as: Raman, Brillouin, OCT, Multiphoton microscopy. The second demonstrator, the VoxelAdd - Voxel based Hybrid Additive PBF -Powder Bed Fusion technology, is in line with the EU vision for technologies for factories of the future and smart factories. It envisages the development of a technology that is able to manufacture components that possess multiple functions inspired in natural body parts such as arms, legs, etc. They should be multi-material, have multiple functions with much improved performance, and being sustainable. The evolution of materials made by humans is a fascinating journey that spans thousands of years and has been a critical factor in advancing technology, improving living standards, and shaping the course of human history. Among those, the 3D printing technologies probably have the greatest potential to disrupt the industrial world and revolutionize our economy. The possibility to build a component atom by atom is the dream of any engineer as it offers infinite possibilities of different functionality in single components. The CMEMS demonstrator is based on a hybrid PBF-US (Powder Bed Fusion-Ultra Sonic)) voxel based additive technology.

Institutions

Main Institutions

  • Universidade do Minho Labbels (CMEMS-UMinho/UM)
  • Universidade do Minho (UMinho)

Funding 807.640,53 €

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Portugal

807.640,53 €