HISTORY

Fifteen years ago, Prof. Mark Bachman spent years developing and designing micro-devices at the University of California Irvine, using MEMS semiconductor technology. "Semiconductor manufacturing (thin-film processing) is great for building very small electronic structures, such as transistors, but it is limited in the kinds of 3D mechanical devices one can build. It utilizes a very limited suite of fabrication processes, uses a very narrow set of materials, and produces very thin devices. They are not truly 3D.", explains Bachman. 

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Dr. Bachman was frustrated, he could not make many of the products requested by industry: 3D micro-devices that used specialty materials and complex assemblies, for applications such as biomedical implants and industrial sensing.

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For 15 years, leveraging over $20 Million of funding from government and commercial grants, Prof. Bachman led a research effort developing a new form of micro-manufacturing, one that could surpass the barriers of semiconductor fabrication, removing the design limitations that the MEMS industry was facing.

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Mark's team at UCI successfully developed a new form of micro-manufacturing - Amalga™. 

Using this new paradigm, Professor Bachman and his team were able to demonstrate dozens of different types of highly functional, complex, 3D micro-devices that can not be produced by semiconductor-style processing, nor by precision manufacturing alone.

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In 2014, the fundamental patent representing this manufacturing technology was awarded to UCI. Upon issuance of this patent, Professor Bachman teamed with two experienced technology business professionals, Paul Dhillon and James Spoto, who had been following this research over the years. As a result, Integra Devices was formed with the vision to transform the micro-device industry, delivering new miniaturized products that could not be produced before.

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Today, Integra Devices is able to design and manufacture a plethora of sophisticated microscopic products for a variety of markets in high volume at low cost. Integra is starting by producing small mm-wave devices for 5G applications, and zero-power micro-sensors for Internet of Things applications.

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Integra's vision is to be a leading producer of high value miniaturized industrial components for multiple industries.