Materials for the High-Tech Industry

To support the high-tech industry in the development of new material applications, TNO applies its well-known expertise in relevant fields such as:

• Thin-film deposition technology that focusses on innovative and scalable technology for large area production, including break-through production equipment for thin-film photovoltai.
• Responsive material and coating technology that focuses on materials and processes for wet-chemical coatings, nanostructuring in terms of design, synthesis, characterization of nanoparticles, and nano-imprint lithography, and responsive polymers.
• Materials for integrated products that focuses on the combination of materials expertise and material processing, using unique physical experiments and computer-aided modelling and simulation for innovative product development with built-in reliability.
• Equipment of additive manufacturing that focuses on the development of cutting-edge technology and high-precision machine concepts for 3D printing and layer-wise material deposition.

Bilateral cooperation

Based on its expertise in the field of material behaviour, production and process technology and product reliability, TNO works with the industry and other research organisations to develop new applications and reduce time-to-market. Industrial partners of TNO in the area of material application development are active in high-tech markets like photovoltaic, medical, 3D printing, semicon, advanced materials, automotive and lighting.

Shared research

In addition, TNO also initiates and participates in shared research. Industrial teams and research organisations work together in programs for joint development of materials, processes, equipment and applications. Examples of these kinds of shared research initiatives include:

• Solliance: the research and development alliance of TNO, TU/e, Holst Centre, ECN, imec and Forschungszentrum Julich for thin film photovoltaic solar energy.
• Shared Research Programme Additive Manufacturing: the shared research initiative in the field of additive manufacturing.