CLINTON, NY – After partnering with the company last year to develop a supercooled liquid metal solder paste, Indium Corp. has announced the acquisition of Safi-Tech.

Last year, Indium Corporation collaborated with Safi-Tech to launch a supercooled BiSn solder paste using the latter’s solder platform. That platform allows molten metal to remain liquid far below its freezing point by encapsulating it in a smooth shell – known as supercooling. The shell of these microcapsules can be removed using a traditional flux and reflow process, or by mechanically crushing a powder of supercooled liquid metal microcapsules. Using this platform, industry-standard alloys such as SAC305 can be soldered at below typical low-temperature solder (LTS) specifications, while other alloys can be soldered at temperatures as low as ambient.

"Safi-Tech’s supercooling platform is an exciting addition to our award-winning product portfolio, allowing us to deliver next-generation soldering materials," said Ross Berntson, president and COO of Indium Corp. "This innovation has far-reaching potential and embedding Safi-Tech into Indium Corporation gives it the opportunity to succeed widely and quickly."

In addition to acquiring the Iowa-based company, Indium will also benefit from Safi-Tech’s co-founder, co-inventor, and president Dr. Ian Tevis joining the company as an R&D manager. In this role, Tevis will oversee a team dedicated to application technology and manage the ongoing research and design of SAFI-Tech supercooled products.

"As a key partner to SAFI-Tech over the past five years, we have witnessed Indium Corporation’s position as an industry leader first-hand," said Tevis. "We are confident that the company’s state-of-the-art facilities, network of customers and equipment suppliers, and talented team members will accelerate our work in bringing supercooled solder to a worldwide audience."

Originating from Iowa State University with the discovery of no-heat and low-heat solder and metallic joining products, Safi-Tech was founded in 2016 by Tevis and Dr. Martin Thuo. It was backed by Rhapsody Venture Partners.

"We have been tremendously impressed by Indium Corporation’s vision for Safi-Tech and the capabilities they possess,” said Carsten Boers, Managing Partner at Rhapsody Venture Partners and lead investor in Safi-Tech. "This transaction was the natural next step in our great collaboration and we look forward to seeing the success which comes from it."

Prior to serving as president and CTO of Safi-Tech, Tevis did postdoctoral work at Iowa State University and UMass Boston. He was also a research scientist at a company specializing in the production of carbon nanotubes. While working at Iowa State University, he invented and patented supercooled liquid metal technology, along with Thuo, which ultimately led to the establishment of Safi-Tech in 2016. Dr. Tevis earned his doctorate degree in materials chemistry from Northwestern University and his bachelor’s degree in chemistry, with a minor in mathematics, from Bradley University.