NanoGlue, a new adhesive technology developed by Germany’s nanosystec, is gaining attention in the photonics and quantum computing sectors for its ability to fix optical components with nanometre-level precision, addressing one of the industry’s longstanding manufacturing bottlenecks.
Modern photonic systems rely on the exact alignment of laser diodes, waveguides, microoptics, and chip-scale components. Even minimal positional drift can undermine optical coupling, shorten service life, and drive up production costs. While traditional joining methods such as laser welding and selective soldering depend on metallic contact surfaces, nanosystec’s epoxy-based approach can bond almost any material combination, offering a level of design freedom increasingly required in hybrid optical modules, including those used in quantum computing architectures.
Jan Kallendrusch, Chief Technology Officer at nanosystec, said this flexibility is growing in importance as developers push towards more complex optical assemblies capable of operating in cryogenic environments. Such systems demand both electrical insulation and long-term dimensional stability across wide temperature ranges, characteristics that the company claims its NanoGlue process can reliably deliver.
The technology combines active alignment with finely metered epoxy application, allowing components to be positioned for optimal optical performance before being fixed in place with high stability.
Controlled UV and thermal curing are designed to reduce post-processing shifts, while the ability to fill larger gaps lowers requirements for mechanical tolerances, cutting production costs. The dosing unit can dispense quantities as small as 5 nl in dots, lines, or polygonal patterns to accommodate intricate geometries.
Manufacturers can further increase bond strength through optional plasma cleaning, improving durability under humidity, temperature swings, or mechanical vibration. Unlike metal-based joining techniques, the process does not require additional metallisation or perfectly flat surfaces, which the company argues makes it suitable for both low-volume research environments and high-volume industrial production.
NanoGlue can be integrated into automated production lines using conveyor belts, robotic handling, or JEDEC-format carriers. Its modular architecture also allows incremental automation as production requirements grow.
With optical integration densities rising, and demand accelerating for robust assembly methods suited to cryogenic and quantum applications, nanosystec sees NanoGlue as a timely contribution to the sector. The company will present the system from 20th to 22nd January at booth 3281 during SPIE Photonics West in San Francisco.
Based in Gross-Umstadt near Darmstadt, nanosystec has supplied precision assembly and testing systems since 2001, serving clients in optoelectronics, medical technology, automotive, and aerospace. Its platforms combine motion control with processes such as precision laser welding, UV micro-bonding, and fine balancing, and are offered both as standard modules and fully customised solutions.
