Affordable, Intelligent, Microfabrication Platform Generates Microelectronics Tech Ed Excitement
Guided Particle Systems launched NAVI, the first in a series of Freeform Microfabrication products, to a highly receptive audience of college educators at the 2022 High Impact Technology Exchange Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah last week.
NAVI will help prepare the workforce for reshoring of microelectronics, advanced packaging, and electronic assembly through hands-on activities that use robotics combined with established fabrication techniques and materials – without the expense of a cleanroom or semiconductor fab. The company’s philosophy is to make the platform versatile, so colleges can use it in a variety of courses and programs. For instance, the NAVI educational platform roadmap includes new end effectors for teaching metrology and spectroscopy.
Utilizing a robotic arm and end effector equipped with machine vision/learning and augmented reality, the intelligent platform provides experience in critical workforce areas such as robotics, automation, and photolithography - a key process used in semiconductor manufacturing. “Initial response to this new product far surpassed our expectations,” said Guided Particle Systems COO Carolyn Fries. “And the launch could not have come at a better time, with the CHIPS Act passing both the Senate and House during the conference. You could just feel the energy in the room.”
Dr. Zachary Gray, Center for Nanotechnology Education & Utilization (CNEU) Managing Director, reacted to the new product by saying, “The system demonstrated at HI-TEC is quite exciting and I look forward to hearing about how it works its way into additional classrooms. I plan to tell our Pennsylvania community college partners about it this fall when I do my outreach.”
In case you are wondering where the name NAVI came from, in the early days of exploration, the Navigator was an elite practitioner who supported the pilot in navigating and exploring the world. Like the human navigator, NAVI supports the student “pilot” in learning and exploration.
Want to learn more and see NAVI in action? Watch this video on our YouTube channel.
Guided Particle Systems (GP) is an advanced technology company that specializes in equipment, processes, and materials for system-level electronic and quantum packaging, scaling, and integration. Born from a need to rapidly design, fabricate, test, and iterate small form factor, low power, low-cost, mobile sensors, GP has an untethered, holistic approach to creative technology development. From the arts to analytical chemistry, robotics, and quantum science, we research, develop, and apply cross-disciplinary and cross-industry technologies, tools, and techniques in our solutions.
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