GoPhotonics interviewed Erhan Ercan, the Global Business Development Head of Morphotonics B.V. He was previously a co-founder and VP of Marketing at Ostendo Technology. Erhan has over 20 years of experience across consumer electronics, hardware, displays, and semiconductors. Mr. Ercan has over 20 years of experience that includes tactical and strategic marketing, technical sales, business planning, product development, and supply chain management.
Q. Can you give us a brief history of Morphotonics? When was the company founded and what was the objective?
Erhan Ercan: Morphotonics was founded by former colleagues who used to work on Blu-Ray disc manufacturing technology at Philips. Nano-replication is one of the optical disc production steps. This technology was further developed and integrated into larger solar panels. Recognizing the absence of large-area replication equipment, the founders leveraged Roll-to-Plate (R2P) nanoimprint lithography (NIL) technology to form the foundation of the company. The name Morphotonics was inspired by the Morpho butterfly, whose stunning, iridescent blue wings are a result of microscopic light-reflecting scales. As a company, we are passionate about enhancing lives visually, striving to make innovations like 3D displays and smart eyewear both high-quality and affordable.
Q. What is nanoimprint lithography technology? What are the benefits and applications of large-area nanoimprint lithography?
Erhan Ercan: Morphotonics’ technology is called Roll-to-Plate (R2P), which allows the processing of ‘large’ substrates of up to 1.1 x 1.3 meters. Micron and nanostructures of all different shapes and types (from 500 microns down to 50 nm) can be replicated on such large surfaces using our R2P technology and equipment.
Our equipment produces optical elements that enhance everyday life by improving the displays on smartphones, laptops, and car screens.
Two major advantages of the R2P technology are:
- Design freedom - It allows designers freedom of choice in selecting more complicated micron and nano textures that otherwise would not be manufacturable.
- Cost advantage - Due to the use of larger substrates, the per unit production cost of such micron/nano textures can be significantly cheaper, making them commercially feasible to use.
Q. What market segments do you target, and which segment drives the most business for you?
Erhan Ercan: We see 3D display applications, followed by AR smart glasses and eventually semicon applications as the major market opportunities for our R2P technology.
Advances in 2D display resolutions (1080p, 4K, 8K) with increasingly smaller pixel sizes have significantly enhanced viewing experiences. However, this progress has also introduced challenges in the cost-effective yet high-quality manufacturing of optics to control light output. In response, display manufacturers have intensified efforts to develop and patent nano- and micro-structured designs for displays, as exemplified below.
To address the growing complexity of optical textures while staying cost-competitive, innovative and economical manufacturing solutions are essential. Morphotonics' R2P technology provides a breakthrough, unlocking new possibilities for enhanced visual experiences and display innovations.
Additionally, we foresee semiconductor applications (especially panel-level advanced backend solutions) as a natural evolution of our work in displays. As our capability to replicate features shrinks to the nanoscale and evolves to more complex structures, such as slanted nanogratings for AR waveguides, the potential for manufacturing such products at the panel level becomes highly relevant to semiconductor applications.
Q. Do you develop standard or custom product solutions? What is the break-up? Can you tell us more about your custom-product development process?
Erhan Ercan: We specialize in producing standard R2P NIL equipment and materials. However, we frequently assist customers with custom requests, including sampling and process optimization, to replicate their specific micron- and nanoscale structures for use in their products. This involves fine-tuning process parameters in our standard primer, coater, and nanoimprint equipment, as well as modifying substrate materials and imprint resins to meet precise requirements. Through an iterative, collaborative approach, we work closely with our customers to develop high-quality, high-throughput, and cost-effective manufacturing solutions.
Q. Can you tell us about your product portfolio?
Erhan Ercan: Our product portfolio includes a wide range of innovative solutions, from standalone nanoimprint lithography equipment designed for R&D and pilot production to fully integrated platforms tailored for high-volume manufacturing. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive selection of consumables, including flexible stamps - also known as soft molds, master films, or templates - featuring an inverse copy of the desired structure on their surface. We also offer proprietary nanoimprint resins with refractive indices ranging from 1.4 to 1.6, ensuring precise, high-quality imprinting to meet our customers' needs.
Q. What are flexible stamps? What are their key benefits? Tell us more about the flexible stamps developed by your company?
Erhan Ercan: A flexible stamp, also known as a soft mold, master film, or template, is a flexible sheet with an inverse replica of the desired structure on its surface.
Our nanoimprint stamps are designed to be both flexible, allowing them to conform to substrate surfaces, and transparent to UV light, enabling curing directly through the stamp. They are also non-adhesive to imprint resins, ensuring easy separation after curing and providing excellent reusability.
Typically, the size of the flex stamp is slightly larger than the substrates being imprinted. This design makes the stamps easy to handle, transport, and replace in our machines—usually within just 5 minutes.
Key Benefits of Our Flexible Stamps:
- Durable and Cost-Effective: Reusable over 1,000 times, depending on the surface texture.
- Precision Alignment: Features alignment markers to ensure accurate pattern placement on products.
- Enhanced Quality Control: Facilitates consistent, high-quality results.
- Adaptable Design: Easily adjustable to accommodate product updates or variations.
- Versatile Compatibility: Compatible with various types and shapes of master templates.
- Eco-Friendly Manufacturing: Minimal waste production supports sustainable practices.
- Custom Stability Options: Offers varying lateral dimension stability to meet specific needs.
Q. What are the properties of the nanoimprint materials used by Morphotonics?
Erhan Ercan: Our proprietary materials are meticulously developed to meet stringent standards and can be fully tailored to address specific customer requirements. Whether a permanent layer or a sacrificial one is needed, our materials are designed to enhance the performance and longevity of customer products.
These materials are optimized for compatibility with our large-area nanoimprint lithography process. They are UV-curable and solvent-free, ensuring efficiency and environmental safety.
Typically, our resins are optically clear with customizable refractive indices. They can be applied to various substrates, although certain material combinations may require an adhesion promoter or primer. In such cases, we can provide or recommend the appropriate adhesion solution or pre-treatment method.
Q. Who are your major customers? Where are they located?
Erhan Ercan: We have over 20 equipment installations worldwide for customers ranging from the largest consumer electronics brands to biggest contract manufacturers and everything in between from start-ups to academic institutions.
Leia Inc. is a customer using our technology for mass production; their LumePad 3D displays feature an optical layer produced on our machines.
Q. Can you tell us your product roadmap for the next 3 years?
Erhan Ercan: A portion of our Series B funding will be dedicated to finalizing the development and commercialization of fully automated versions of our large-area nanoimprint machines. In fact, we are currently building the first unit for a customer, with delivery expected in 2025.
Additionally, we have plans to develop equipment that can replicate structures with even greater precision where the lenses are located (for instance adding lenses with precise position accuracy on display pixels) while maintaining large substrate sizes.
With these two advancements, we will expand our focus beyond displays and target products in the semiconductor packaging and other deeptech sectors.
About Morphotonics B.V.
Morphotonics is a pioneering company in large-area nanoimprint technology, providing innovative roll-to-plate (R2P) solutions to produce micro and nano-scale structures on large substrates. Their technology supports high-precision, scalable production of advanced optical components for applications like glasses-free 3D displays, outdoor-readable smartphones, augmented reality (AR) smart glasses, and more. Recently, they secured over $10 million in Series B funding to expand globally, particularly in Asia, and drive innovation in energy-efficient, next-generation displays and other consumer electronics.
