Earlier this year, I sat in on a layout review where a senior engineer dropped a truth bomb:
“The problem isn’t choosing the best substrate… it’s that we can’t test any of them.”
That stuck with me.
Because too often, the conversation around advanced substrates is theoretical… not tactical.
Why Substrate Choices Get Bottlenecked
Most teams have a shortlist of ideal substrates.
But few get to explore them.
- Some require custom masks
- Others can’t be bonded without special tools
- Many aren’t supported by the team’s standard fab flow
So what happens?
- You choose the safest option… not the best
- You eliminate possibilities before you understand them
- You optimize around constraints instead of performance
The Real Question Isn’t “What’s Best?”… It’s “What Can We Try?”
The fastest way to know which substrate works?
Print on it.
- Try a trace
- Measure impedance
- Run a bend test
All of this is now possible… in-house, in hours.
Tools That Unlock Substrate Exploration
- Hummink’s NAZCA platform supports direct-write on Si, glass, and polyimide… no cleanroom or bake required
- Ceradrop (by MGI) offers inkjet-based deposition tools compatible with ceramic and hybrid substrates
- Optomec’s Aerosol Jet can deposit on 3D surfaces and irregular geometries
Each opens up new substrate options for layout and integration.
Why This Changes the Whole Design Conversation
When you can actually print and test across materials:
- You make better layout decisions
- You reduce NPI delays
- You stop treating substrate choice as a constraint
Instead, it becomes part of your strategic stack.
The Takeaway
If your team is debating the “best” substrate…
Start by asking:
Which ones can we actually print on this week?
Because in prototyping, accessibility beats theory… every time.
