Smartkem and Manz Asia Announce Preliminary Joint Development Agreement for AI Chip Packaging Dielectric Ink Solutions

Smartkem, a company focused on transistor technology, has entered into a preliminary, non-binding Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with Manz Asia, a developer of advanced packaging equipment for the semiconductor industry. The agreement, when finalized, will center on co-developing dielectric ink solutions for advanced packaging manufacturing, specifically for AI chip packaging applications.

The JDA builds on an existing collaboration that demonstrated an inkjet metalization process for chip packaging at SEMICON SEA 2025. The partnership aims to combine Smartkem’s semiconductor materials with Manz Asia’s precision inkjet technology to develop scalable solutions for 12" wafer-level packaging and large-area panel packaging. The focus is on addressing bottlenecks in advanced computer and AI chip packaging, targeting higher yield and lower cost per packaged chip for data centers deploying AI accelerators.

Manz Asia’s General Manager, Robert Lin, stated that the collaboration leverages Smartkem’s dielectric ink formulations, which offer high-resolution patterning, robust film integrity, and chemical compatibility for back-end-of-line (BEOL) processes, including top metal layer insulation and redistribution layer (RDL) patterning. The JDA seeks to enhance scalability, resolution, and reliability in chip integration.

The agreement highl...