Imagine you're making thousands of tiny electronic chips every hour, but you can't check each one without slowing down the whole line. Right now, manufacturers pull random samples and test them in a lab — which means defective chips slip through. INLINETEST built camera-like systems that use heat signatures to scan every single chip on the production line, without touching or stopping anything. Think of it like a thermal X-ray that catches hidden defects at full production speed.
Microelectronics manufacturers face enormous quality requirements but cannot inspect every component coming off the production line — current methods are either too slow (requiring production stops for lab testing) or limited to surface-level checks. Hidden defects in die-attach and sintering pass undetected into finished products, causing field failures in safety-critical automotive, avionics, and telecom applications. The cost of a single escaped defect in these sectors — recalls, downtime, liability — far exceeds the cost of catching it during production.
The project built and demonstrated a fully functional in-line inspection system using two thermal imaging methods (Pulse-Infrared Thermography and Thermoreflectance) that detect hidden defects inside packaged electronic components without contact or production stops. The system was integrated into two real production lines and validated on power multi-chip modules for the avionics, telecom, and automotive sectors, with 21 deliverables completed including lab demonstrations, in-line system verification, and full end-user site demonstrations.
If you are an automotive electronics supplier dealing with zero-defect requirements for safety-critical components — this project developed a contactless thermal inspection system that enables 100% in-line monitoring of power multi-chip modules. The system was demonstrated on components covering the automotive sector, meaning it was tested on your type of product.
If you are an avionics manufacturer where a single defective chip can ground an aircraft — this project built and demonstrated a fully functional in-line failure analysis system at end-user production sites. The system detects hidden defects below component surfaces without contact, validated on encapsulated power multi-chip module components for the avionics sector.
If you are a telecom equipment maker struggling with production yield on microelectronic components — this project integrated inspection systems into two production lines and demonstrated them under real-life conditions. The thermographic methods detect die-attach and sintering flaws that cause field failures, covering the telecom sector specifically.
The project data does not include pricing information. The coordinator is BERLINER NANOTEST UND DESIGN GMBH, a German SME specializing in nanotest and design, which suggests they may offer commercial systems. Contact through SciTransfer for pricing discussions.
The system was designed specifically for in-line operation at full production speed, enabling 100% inspection of every component rather than statistical sampling. It was integrated into two actual production lines and demonstrated on encapsulated power multi-chip module components under real-life conditions.
The consortium of 5 partners from 3 countries (DE, FR, NL) developed the technology. With 80% industry partners and 3 SMEs in the consortium, IP is likely held by the industrial partners. The coordinator BERLINER NANOTEST UND DESIGN GMBH would be the primary contact for licensing.
The system uses two complementary methods — Pulse-Infrared Thermography and Thermoreflectance — to detect production flaws and defects in encapsulated components. It specifically targets die-attach and sintering failures below the surface, which are invisible to optical inspection.
Both. The project first demonstrated failure analysis systems under laboratory conditions using industrial samples from end-users. Then they built a fully functional in-line system and demonstrated it at end-user production sites — covering avionics, telecom, and automotive applications.
The system was specifically designed to meet what the project calls 'enormous quality requirements' for manufacturers competing in the micro/nanoelectronics market. It was demonstrated on components for the avionics, telecom, and automotive sectors, though specific certification details are not available in the project data.
Based on available project data, the system was validated on encapsulated power multi-chip modules. However, the project states the technology can 'radiate out to other lines and products where non-contact failure analysis below surfaces of various emissivity is needed,' suggesting broader applicability.
This is a lean, industry-heavy consortium: 5 partners across Germany, France, and the Netherlands, with 4 out of 5 being industry players and 3 of those being SMEs. The 80% industry ratio is unusually high and signals this project was built for commercialization, not academic publishing. The coordinator — BERLINER NANOTEST UND DESIGN GMBH — is a German SME already in the nanotest business, meaning they have existing market channels and customer relationships. Only one university partner suggests academic input was targeted and specific. For a business looking to adopt this technology, this consortium composition is a strong positive indicator: the people who built it are the same type of companies that would sell and support it.
BERLINER NANOTEST UND DESIGN GMBH is a German SME specializing in nanotest and design — likely the primary commercial contact for this technology.
Want an introduction to the INLINETEST team? SciTransfer can arrange a direct meeting with the developers to discuss integration into your production line.
