PHENOMENON · Project

Laser Printing of Tiny Optical Structures for Anti-Fog, Security, and Display Products

manufacturingTestedTRL 5

Imagine a laser printer that works at the nanoscale — instead of printing letters on paper, it prints incredibly tiny 3D structures onto glass and plastic surfaces. These structures can make lenses fog-proof, create uncopyable security holograms, or build touch-free holographic buttons for car dashboards. The trick is splitting one laser beam into up to 1 million simultaneous spots, so what used to take hours can now be manufactured at industrial speed. The team built four working demonstrators proving this works for real products.

By the numbers

1 million

simultaneous laser spots projected for parallel nanofabrication

100 nm to 10 microns

range of structure sizes achievable with this technology

4.7-inch

OLCD display demonstrator with integrated light management sheet

2-inch

glass optic lens with antireflective-antifogging nanostructured surface

consortium partners across 5 countries

working demonstrators built and tested

The business problem

What needed solving

Manufacturers of optical products face a painful tradeoff: either use conventional coating and embossing methods that limit what surfaces can do, or pay extreme costs for slow, single-point laser writing that cannot scale. Anti-fog coatings degrade, security holograms get copied, and physical buttons clutter dashboards. There is no fast, affordable way to print complex 3D nanostructures directly onto lenses, films, and displays at production speed.

The solution

What was built

Four working demonstrators: a 4.7-inch flexible display with integrated light management sheet, a 2-inch glass lens with anti-fog and anti-reflective nanostructured surface (tested for UV and mechanical resistance), a multi-level anticounterfeiting hologram with three verification layers, and a holographic color virtual button interface tested in an automotive cockpit environment with user evaluation.

Audience

Who needs this

Automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers developing touchless cockpit interfacesSecurity printing companies producing banknotes, ID documents, and brand protection labelsOptical lens manufacturers needing durable anti-fog and anti-reflective surfacesDisplay and lighting manufacturers seeking better light management filmsPharmaceutical and luxury goods companies fighting product counterfeiting

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Automotive

enterprise

Target: Tier 1 automotive component suppliers and OEMs developing next-generation cockpit interfaces

If you are an automotive supplier struggling to differentiate your cockpit interfaces — this project developed a holographic virtual button that projects color HMI controls into a car environment, tested by a user panel for usability and image quality. It eliminates physical buttons while keeping tactile-like feedback through holographic projection, reducing part count and enabling fully reconfigurable dashboards.

Security printing and document protection

mid-size

Target: Companies producing banknotes, identity documents, brand authentication labels, or pharmaceutical packaging

If you are a security printer worried about counterfeiting of your protected documents — this project built an anticounterfeiting hologram with three layers of encoded information: visible to the naked eye, readable with specified equipment, and verifiable under high-magnification microscope. This multi-level approach outperforms current hologram technology and is manufactured using direct laser writing at production-relevant speeds.

Optical components and precision lenses

any

Target: Manufacturers of camera lenses, medical optics, automotive sensors, or outdoor optical equipment

If you are an optics manufacturer losing customers due to fogging and reflection problems on lenses — this project created an antifogging lens demonstrator on a 2-inch glass optic with nanostructured surfaces that are both antireflective and anti-fog. The surface was tested for UV resistance and mechanical durability, meaning it can survive real-world conditions without degrading.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt this laser nanostructuring technology for our production line?

The project data does not include specific equipment costs or licensing fees. However, the technology uses Spatial Light Modulators (SLMs) and continuous wave lasers — both commercially available components — combined with new photocurable materials. Contact the coordinator consortium to discuss pricing for technology transfer or pilot runs.

Can this scale to industrial production volumes?

Yes, scalability was a core goal. The technology projects up to 1 million simultaneous laser spots, which is a massive leap from conventional single-point laser writing. The consortium included 8 industrial partners specifically to validate production-relevant throughput across four demonstrator applications.

What is the IP situation — can we license this technology?

The project was funded as an RIA (Research and Innovation Action) under Horizon 2020, meaning IP is owned by the consortium partners who generated it. With 8 industrial partners including 4 SMEs in the consortium, licensing or joint development agreements would need to be negotiated with the relevant partner holding the specific IP you need.

How mature is this technology — is it ready for our factory floor?

The consortium built four physical demonstrators including a functional 4.7-inch OLCD with light management sheet and a 2-inch antifogging glass lens. These are validated prototypes, not lab curiosities. However, full production line integration would still require engineering work to adapt to your specific products and volumes.

What materials does this process work with?

The process uses new types of ultrasensitive photoinitiators and nonlinear sensitized resins that cure under continuous wave laser light. It can produce structures on glass optics (demonstrated with the 2-inch lens) and flexible sheets (demonstrated with the 4.7-inch display). Structure sizes range from 100 nm to 10 microns.

How long would it take to go from evaluation to first production samples?

The project ran from 2018 to 2021 and produced working demonstrators by roughly month 35-40. Based on available project data, moving from demonstrator to production samples would depend on your specific application. The antifogging lens and holographic button were both tested with characterization and user evaluation reports, suggesting the core technology is validated.

Consortium

Who built it

The PHENOMENON consortium is strongly industry-driven: 7 of 14 partners are industrial, including 4 SMEs, giving a 50% industry ratio — well above average for EU research projects. The consortium spans 5 countries (Switzerland, Germany, Spain, France, UK) with the coordinator being a Spanish metallurgical research association. The mix of 3 universities, 3 research organizations, and 8 industrial partners covering the full value chain means the technology has already been shaped by commercial requirements, not just academic curiosity. For a business looking to adopt this technology, having multiple industrial partners in the consortium increases the likelihood of finding a licensing or development partner with production experience.

ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION METALURGICA DEL NOROESTECoordinator · ES
FLUXIM AGparticipant · CH
FABRICA NACIONAL DE MONEDA Y TIMBRE-REAL CASA DE LA MONEDAparticipant · ES
UNIVERSITE LYON 1 CLAUDE BERNARDthirdparty · FR
FUNDACIO INSTITUT DE CIENCIES FOTONIQUESparticipant · ES
PSA IDparticipant · FR
ECOLE NORMALE SUPERIEURE DE LYONthirdparty · FR
INSTITUT MINES-TELECOMparticipant · FR
CDA GMBHparticipant · DE
FLEXENABLE LIMITEDparticipant · UK
THALESparticipant · FR
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRSparticipant · FR

How to reach the team

The coordinator is ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION METALURGICA DEL NOROESTE (Spain). SciTransfer can help identify the right contact person for your specific application.

Order a report on this consortium See ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION METALURGICA DEL NOROESTE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how laser nanostructured optics could solve your product challenge? SciTransfer connects you directly with the right consortium partner for your application — whether that is antifogging coatings, security features, or holographic interfaces.

Order a report on this topic More in Manufacturing & Industry 4.0