Scia Systems
Scia Systems GmbH is a German precision equipment manufacturer, founded in 2013 in Chemnitz, that designs and sells ion beam and plasma processing systems for nanometer-accurate coating, etching, trimming, and cleaning to microelectronics, MEMS, precision optics, AR/MR device, biomedical, and astronomy customers worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersChemnitz, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Scia Systems does
Scia Systems GmbH is a privately held German precision equipment manufacturer founded in 2013 and headquartered in Chemnitz, Germany. The company designs and builds high-end ion beam and plasma processing systems for ultra-precise surface processing with nanometer accuracy, serving microelectronics, MEMS, precision optics, AR/MR device makers, biomedical technology, and astronomy/space customers worldwide. Its product portfolio spans multiple equipment families — scia Mill (ion beam etching), scia Trim/Finish (ion beam trimming and figuring), scia Coat/Opto (ion beam sputtering), scia Magna and scia Multi (magnetron sputtering for multilayer coatings up to 1500mm substrates), scia Batch/Cube (PECVD/RIE), scia Clean (dry cleaning), scia Eva (electron beam evaporation), and the scia Cluster 200 modular platform — covering coating, etching, trimming, cleaning, and surface form correction processes.
The business model is direct enterprise capital equipment sales of customized, quote-based systems, distributed through a worldwide representative network alongside the company's own sales and service team. Differentiated technical capabilities include Reactive Ion Beam Trimming (RIBT) for slanted surface relief gratings, Ion Beam Figuring (IBF) for nanometer-level mirror correction, an inline magnetron architecture delivering sub-nanometer thickness control and <1% uniformity variation over 1500mm, and a fine-beam focused ion source under development in the AziTrim project (April 2025–February 2028) with Fraunhofer ENAS and LSA GmbH Wolkenstein targeting AR waveguide production. Revenue, funding history, and ownership structure are not disclosed in available sources; the company employs 51-100 people and operates without external investment or parent-company affiliation on the record.
Scia Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Scia Systems
- Legal name
- scia Systems GmbH
- Website
- https://scia-systems.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Scia Systems GmbH is a German precision equipment manufacturer, founded in 2013 in Chemnitz, that designs and sells ion beam and plasma processing systems for nanometer-accurate coating, etching, trimming, and cleaning to microelectronics, MEMS, precision optics, AR/MR device, biomedical, and astronomy customers worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Scia Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Semiconductor Processing Equipment
- NAICS
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (334), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)
- SIC
- Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ion Implantation & Doping Equipment (HDAHAEAD)
Keywords
Where Scia Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chemnitz
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Scia Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Equipment Sales: Sale of high-end ion beam and plasma processing equipment for thin film processing. Systems are sold as production equipment to semiconductor, MEMS, optics, and sensor manufacturers. Equipment includes various models (scia Mill, scia Trim, scia Magna, scia Multi, scia Cube, scia Batch, scia Coat, scia Clean, scia Eva, scia Finish) addressing different substrate sizes and processes.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Scia Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Scia Systems develops and manufactures high-end equipment for ultra-precise surface processing using ion beam and plasma technologies. Systems enable coating, etching, trimming, and cleaning with nanometer accuracy and are configured as standard or customized solutions for high-volume production and research applications. Equipment families include scia Mill, scia Trim, scia Finish, scia Coat, scia Opto, scia Magna, scia Multi, scia Batch, scia Cube, scia Clean, scia Eva, and scia Cluster 200, addressing diverse substrate sizes and processes.
Product overview
Scia Systems develops and manufactures high-end equipment for ultra-precise surface processing using ion beam and plasma technologies. The product portfolio includes multiple equipment families: scia Mill (ion beam etching systems for patterning and structuring), scia Trim/Finish (ion beam trimming systems for thickness correction and surface form error correction), scia Coat/Opto (ion beam sputtering for dense film deposition), scia Magna and scia Multi (magnetron sputtering systems for multilayer coatings), scia Batch/Cube (PECVD/RIE systems for deposition and etching), scia Clean (dry cleaning systems), scia Eva (electron beam evaporation), and scia Cluster (modular cluster platforms). The systems enable coating, etching, and cleaning with nanometer accuracy for applications in microelectronics, MEMS, precision optics, and biomedical technology.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- scia Mill 150 Ion beam etching system for full surface etching with superior uniformity, reactive gas compatibility in RIBE and CAIBE processing including fluorine and chlorine gases, with substrate holder featuring rotation and tilt for arbitrary angles of incidence. Used by semiconductor, MEMS, and optics manufacturers.
- scia Mill 200 Production-proven ion beam etching system with reactive gas compatibility for RIBE and CAIBE processes including fluorine and chlorine gases, featuring thermal control of wafers and a high-stability ion beam source. Targets semiconductor and microelectronics manufacturers.
- scia Mill 300 Ion beam etching system for wafers up to 300 mm, designed for slanted surface relief grating production for AR/MR devices. Used by AR/MR waveguide and microelectronics manufacturers.
- scia Trim 200 High-precision production system for surface trimming of wafers up to 200 mm, enabling dimensional corrections down to sub-nanometer range for frequency filter manufacturing. Used by SAW, BAW, and XBAR filter producers.
- scia Trim 300 Ion beam trimming system for wafers up to 300 mm, used for production of slanted gratings with varying slant angles for AR/MR applications.
- scia Finish 1500 Surface form error correction system for high-precision lenses and mirrors, including ion beam figuring for telescope mirrors. Used by astronomy and precision optics manufacturers.
- scia Coat 200 Ion beam sputter deposition system for very dense, defect-free deposited films on wafers up to 200 mm. Targets semiconductor and microelectronics manufacturers.
- scia Coat 500 Ion beam sputter deposition system for optical substrates. Used by precision optics manufacturers.
- scia Opto 300 Ion beam sputter deposition system for optoelectronic applications.
- scia Magna 200 Magnetron sputtering system for advanced wafer coatings up to 200 mm, capable of depositing metallic and dielectric layers with high precision. Targets semiconductor and microelectronics manufacturers.
- scia Magna 400/500/700/1200 Inline Series of inline magnetron sputtering systems for high-precision multilayer coatings on optical substrates with sub-nanometer accuracy, supporting gradient layers and automated substrate handling. Used by precision optics manufacturers.
- scia Multi 300 Multilayer coating system for wafers up to 300 mm by magnetron sputtering, equipped with up to 4 magnetrons for high-precision multilayer stacks without breaking vacuum.
- scia Multi 680 Multilayer coating system for curved substrates up to 680 mm diameter, with up to 7 magnetrons each with separate housing for individual gas supply.
- scia Multi 1500 Multilayer coating system for large curved substrates up to 1500 mm diameter with modular chamber concept including separate process, buffer, and loading chambers.
- scia Batch 350 3D coating system in batches for biocompatible coatings of 3-dimensional shaped substrates, designed for medical implants with carrier-based loading. Used by biomedical device manufacturers.
- scia Cube 300 Large area coating and etching system for substrates up to 300 mm x 200 mm, featuring high-density plasma processes for PECVD and RIE with microwave sources.
- scia Cube 750 Large area coating and etching system for substrates up to 750 mm x 750 mm with 7 linear microwave sources and optional atmospheric loading system.
- scia Clean 800 Dry cleaning system for surface preparation and contamination removal.
- scia Clean 1000/1500/3000 Series of dry cleaning systems for various substrate sizes, for surface preparation and contamination removal.
- scia Eva 200 Electron beam evaporation system for thin film deposition.
- scia Inline 400 Custom-built inline processing system configured to specific customer requirements.
- scia Cluster 200 Modular cluster system for combining multiple process modules for high flexibility and throughput on wafers up to 200 mm.
Quantifiable outcome
- Sub-nanometer thickness correction capability
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Scia Systems
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Scia Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
Scia Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nanosystems (ENAS)coreJoint research partner in the AziTrim project (April 2025 - February 2028) developing an optimized process chain for fabrication of variably tilted surface relief gratings using ion beam etching. scia Systems is responsible for simulation-based development and construction of the fine-beam ion source.
- LSA GmbH WolkensteincoreJoint research partner in the AziTrim project (April 2025 - February 2028) focused on developing process chain for surface relief gratings for AR waveguides.
- Vakuum servisminorRegional partner present on site at NFO18 conference (Aug-Sep 2026, Brno, Czech Republic) for sales and service support.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Scia Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Veeco Instruments: Veeco is a leading US-based semiconductor and precision equipment manufacturer offering ion beam etch (IBE), MBE, MOCVD, and precision surface processing systems. It competes directly with scia Systems' ion beam etching and sputtering product lines in semiconductor and photonics applications.
- Oxford Instruments (Plasma Technology): Oxford Instruments' Plasma Technology division supplies ion beam etch, plasma etch, ALD, and PECVD systems to semiconductor, MEMS, and photonics manufacturers. It is one of the closest competitors to scia Mill and scia Cube product lines for research and production customers.
- Raith GmbH: Raith is a German nanofabrication equipment specialist offering electron-beam lithography, ion beam, and nanofabrication systems. Like scia Systems, Raith serves precision photonics, MEMS, and advanced research customers requiring sub-nanometer process control.
- ULVAC: ULVAC is a Japanese vacuum and plasma processing equipment manufacturer offering sputtering, etching, and CVD systems. It competes with scia Magna, scia Multi, and scia Cube product lines in semiconductor, optics, and flat-panel display manufacturing.
- EV Group (EVG): EVG is an Austrian wafer bonding, lithography, and nanoimprint equipment supplier serving MEMS, photonics, and semiconductor customers. It is comparable to scia Systems in serving similar specialty process equipment customers with high-precision requirements.
- SÜSS MicroTec: SÜSS MicroTec is a German semiconductor equipment manufacturer supplying lithography, bonding, and coating systems. It overlaps with scia Systems in serving European semiconductor and MEMS customers with specialty process equipment.
- Intlvac: Intlvac specializes in ion beam systems for thin film deposition and etching, serving optics, semiconductor, and research markets. It is a direct niche competitor to scia Coat and scia Mill ion beam platforms.
- Plasma-Therm: Plasma-Therm manufactures plasma etch and PECVD deposition systems for semiconductor, MEMS, and photonics applications. It competes with scia Cube PECVD/RIE and scia Mill platforms in research and specialty production environments.
Broad incumbents
- Carl Zeiss (SMT division): Carl Zeiss's Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology (SMT) division is a major supplier of optics and lithography equipment for semiconductor manufacturing. While broader and far larger than scia Systems, it is comparable in serving high-precision optics and EUV/X-ray optics customers that scia addresses with ion beam figuring.
Emerging players
- 4Wave Inc. 4Wave is a smaller specialty ion beam deposition equipment company serving advanced optics and semiconductor applications. It is a niche competitor to scia Coat and scia Magna product lines for research and specialty production customers.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Scia Systems social profiles
Digital presenceScia Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Scia Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Scia Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Scia Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Scia Systems
What does Scia Systems do?
Scia Systems develops and manufactures high-end equipment for ultra-precise surface processing using ion beam and plasma technologies. Systems enable coating, etching, trimming, and cleaning with nanometer accuracy and are configured as standard or customized solutions for high-volume production and research applications. Equipment families include scia Mill, scia Trim, scia Finish, scia Coat, scia Opto, scia Magna, scia Multi, scia Batch, scia Cube, scia Clean, scia Eva, and scia Cluster 200, addressing diverse substrate sizes and processes.
Is Scia Systems a public or private company?
Scia Systems is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Scia Systems founded?
Scia Systems was founded in 2013. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Scia Systems based?
Scia Systems is headquartered in Chemnitz, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Scia Systems make money?
One revenue line is on record: equipment Sales.
Who are Scia Systems's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Veeco Instruments, Oxford Instruments (Plasma Technology), Raith GmbH, ULVAC, EV Group (EVG), SÜSS MicroTec, Intlvac and Plasma-Therm. Carl Zeiss (SMT division) is listed as a broad incumbent. 4Wave Inc. is listed as an emerging player.
Does Scia Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for Scia Systems.
What industry is Scia Systems in?
Scia Systems's product category is Semiconductor Processing Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHAEAD, Ion Implantation & Doping Equipment. Its NAICS code is 334 and its SIC code is 3559.