Copper circuits, built with light.
Femtoam Labs is developing femtosecond laser-based additive manufacturing for electronics: an ambient-air laser sintering process that builds oxidation-free, high-conductivity copper on flexible substrates.
Additive manufacturing with femtosecond lasers, in open air
Copper is an attractive conductor for electronics, but it oxidizes readily when heated, which is why processing it typically calls for controlled atmospheres. Our additive approach uses ultrashort femtosecond laser pulses to sinter copper directly in ambient air, building conductive copper where it's needed, without oxidation.
Copper on a flexible substrate
Copper material is applied to a thin, flexible substrate.
Femtosecond laser pulses
Ultrashort laser pulses, each lasting quadrillionths of a second, sinter the copper in ambient air.
Oxidation-free copper films
The result is a high-conductivity copper film, ready for flexible electronic devices.
Why it matters
Flexible electronics need conductors that perform well and can be made affordably. Copper offers excellent conductivity at a fraction of the cost of silver, if it can be processed without oxidizing.
By working in ambient air, our process aims to remove the need for vacuum chambers or inert-gas environments, simplifying how high-quality copper conductors are manufactured.
As an additive process, it builds conductors directly rather than starting from a solid layer and etching material away.
- Material
- Copper
- Film quality
- Oxidation-free, high conductivity
- Environment
- Ambient air
- Substrate
- Flexible
- Process
- Femtosecond laser sintering
- Approach
- Additive manufacturing
Built for flexible electronics
High-conductivity copper on flexible substrates opens the door to lighter, thinner, and more adaptable devices.
Wearables
Conductors that bend and move with the body.
Flexible circuits
Thin, lightweight interconnects for compact devices.
Sensors
Conformable sensing surfaces for health, industry, and IoT.
Printed electronics
A path toward copper-based alternatives to costly conductors.
Let's build flexible electronics together
We're interested in hearing from industry partners, manufacturers, and investors.