Fusion Bionic secures €8M for laser texturing

Fusion Bionic, a 2021 spin-out from the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (IWS), says it has secured €8.2 million in financial support that will see its laser texturing technology scaled to industrial applications.

The Dresden-based startup, which describes its approach as “sustainable surface functionalization modeled on nature”, says it attracted €5.8 million in seed finance from local venture groups and funding agencies, plus another €2.4 million tied to two industrial projects to develop the technology for mass production.

“With this capital, Fusion Bionic is accelerating its expansion from a technology provider to a provider of industrial machine solutions,” stated the firm.

Interference patterning

While surface texturing to improve material functionality is nothing new, it is typically achieved with coatings or chemical etching. What Fusion Bionic has pioneered is its proprietary direct laser interference patterning (DLIP) technology, which relies on pulsed lasers.

“Our engineered solution is inspired by natural surfaces such as the lotus leaf, sharkskin, collembola [a type of hexapod], and morpho butterfly, which allows for advanced surface features such as self-cleaning, anti-icing, antibacterial, decoration, drag reduction and more,” explains the startup, which is attempting to transfer those effects into volume-scale applications.

CEO and co-founder Tim Kunze noted: “For us, this is an important step towards industrial mass markets. With this investment, we are laying the groundwork to consistently transfer our technology into applications such as semiconductor applications and large-scale photovoltaics.

“Functional laser surfaces are gaining importance worldwide - and we want to play a decisive role in shaping this development with our technology.”

Raymond Chen, the chairman of lead investor Stream Capital, added: “Fusion Bionic is a prime example of the next generation of laser technology. The team combines technological excellence with a clear view of industrial applications.

“Especially in mass markets such as the semiconductor industry, Fusion Bionics’ technology opens solutions to challenges where conventional processes reach their limits.”

Self-cleaning PV

The firm’s “CORErapid” scanner modules are said to produce adjustable feature sizes from 1.5 micron to 30 micron in size at a scan speed of up to 6 meters per second, using laser wavelengths of either 355nm, 532nm, or 1064nm.

Although the laser-based texturing approach is well known, it has so far proved difficult to scale to large industrial surfaces because of a trade-off between throughput and precision.

“Until now, high-precision laser-based functional structures could not be produced at the speed required for large-area industrial applications,” explains the company. “Fusion Bionic addresses precisely this key bottleneck. With the shift from component development to industrial machine solutions, [we] will in the future offer turnkey system solutions.”

Among the firm’s key partners are Japan’s MOL Solutions Inc., with self-cleaning photovoltaics seen as a key application area.

“Fusion Bionic will establish a pilot line for the laser-based anti-soiling functionalization of solar glass,” says the firm. “At the same time, development of highly efficient anti-glare surfaces for photovoltaic applications is set to begin.

“The resulting glass surfaces are intended to combine significantly reduced glare with increased light transmittance.

“For partners in the solar and glass industries, both initiatives will open up new avenues for reducing operating costs and increasing the energy yield of solar applications.” 

Other targeted application areas include improved anti-icing procedures for aircraft, more reliable plug connectors for cars, and improved cell adhesion in dental implants.