AppNano

What AppNano does

AppNano (legal entity: Applied NanoStructures, Inc.) is a privately held nanofabrication company founded in 2004 and headquartered in Mountain View, California. The company develops, manufactures, and supplies nanostructures — primarily Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) / Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) probes — from an in-house clean room facility using proprietary silicon nanofabrication and MEMS processes. Its product portfolio spans a broad catalog of monolithic silicon probes (ACT, FORT, ACCESS, HYDRA series) and specialty probes for electrical, magnetic, biological, tip-enhanced Raman, colloidal, diamond-coated, and deep-trench imaging; the award-winning VertiSense Scanning Thermal Microscopy module and its VTP thermal probe enabling temperature mapping from -40°C to 700°C; Step Height Standards for AFM/SEM/profiler calibration; and three service lines — Custom MEMS & Nanofabrication, Characterization & Metrology (AFM, FE-SEM, FIB, thin-film deposition up to 6-inch substrates), and Custom Probe Mounting across multiple AFM platforms.

The business model is overwhelmingly transactional hardware sales of consumable probes and instruments, supplemented by fee-for-service custom fabrication and characterization work. Pricing is unit-based (e.g., Step Height Standards at $402–$534 per unit) with most catalog probes sold on quote; standard packages are 5, 10, 20, 50, or full wafer (410+ units). Net 30 terms or prepayment; a six-month warranty applies with a two-week RMA window for non-conforming probes. Go-to-market combines a direct e-commerce storefront on appnano.com, phone/email/fax ordering, and a distributor network — most notably Quatek Inc. covering the Shenzhen/China region — alongside FedEx global shipping. Customers are predominantly research institutions and academic labs (cited via Stanford, Yale publications), with secondary demand from industrial/materials-science QA labs and semiconductor/data-storage customers using thermal microscopy for HAMR head testing and device thermography. The company is privately held with no disclosed external equity investors, a headcount of 1–10 employees, and self-describes as "rapidly expanding" with active hiring for process engineering and sales support roles.

Name

AppNano

Legal name

Applied NanoStructures, Inc.

Website

https://appnano.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AppNano (Applied NanoStructures, Inc.) is a privately held nanofabrication company that designs, manufactures, and supplies silicon AFM/SPM probes, the VertiSense thermal microscopy module, and custom MEMS/characterization services from an in-house clean room in Mountain View, California, serving academic, industrial, and semiconductor research customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Instrumentation

NAICS

Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing (333242)

akta.pro primary industry

Sensors, MEMS & Imaging ICs (HDAHAAAG)

Keywords

• AFM probes
• Scanning probe microscopy
• Nanostructure fabrication
• MEMS manufacturing
• Thermal microscopy

Headquarters

HQ city

Mountain View

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Standard SPM Probe Catalog: Sale of standard catalog SPM/AFM probes including ACT, FORT, ACCESS, HYDRA, SNOM-C, SNOM-NC, BioLever, Pillar, PtSi-SICON, PtSi-ACT, PtSi-FORT, A-FAST, and various specialty probes. Probes are consumable items sold in standard package sizes of 5, 10, 20, 50, or full wafer (410+) units.
2. Step Height Standards: Sale of calibration standards for AFM, SEM, Optical and Mechanical Profilers. Features step heights, lines, grids, magnification box and spot measurement structures. Available in 100nm and 200nm heights with various mounting options.
3. VertiSense™ Thermal Microscopy Module: Sale of SThM modules for thermal conductivity and temperature contrast imaging. Compatible with most commercial AFMs. Includes thermal probes, test samples, and calibrators.
4. Custom MEMS & Nanofabrication Services: R&D, manufacturing and QA services for custom MEMS devices and nano fabrication including wet chemical processing, diffusion/oxidation processing, metallization, dry etching, physical vapour deposition, and photolithography.
5. Characterization and Metrology Services: Fee-for-service nano characterization using AFM, FE-SEM, FIB, and thin film deposition services for polymers, metallurgical samples, electronic materials, ceramics, and particles/contaminants.
6. Custom Mounted Probes: Pre-mounting service for AFM probes on special probe holders compatible with major AFM systems for a small fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AppNano (Applied NanoStructures, Inc.) develops, manufactures, and supplies nanostructures, with a primary focus on silicon Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) probes produced in an in-house clean room using MEMS and nanofabrication processes. Its offerings include a broad SPM probe catalog, the award-winning VertiSense thermal microscopy module, Step Height Standards for instrument calibration, and services for custom MEMS fabrication, nano characterization/metrology, and custom probe mounting.

Product overview

AppNano (Applied NanoStructures, Inc.) develops, manufactures, and supplies nanostructures with a focus on Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) probes. Their product portfolio centers on silicon probes (including the ACT, FORT, ACCESS, HYDRA, and specialty series) designed for diverse SPM applications. The company offers specialized probes including BioLever for bioapplications, PtSi conductive probes for electrical characterization, TERS probes for tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, colloidal and ball probes for particle studies, and diamond-coated probes for demanding applications. Supporting products include the award-winning VertiSense thermal microscopy module (SThM) enabling temperature mapping from -40°C to 700°C, and Step Height Standards for instrument calibration. Services include Custom MEMS & Nano Fabrication, Characterization and Metrology, and Custom Probe Mounting for various AFM platforms. Their in-house clean room facility enables rapid prototyping and batch processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VertiSense: Award-winning SThM (Scanning Thermal Microscopy) module for nanoscale thermal analysis
• ACT
• FORT
• ACCESS
• HYDRA

Products and services

• SPM Probe Catalog Catalog of silicon-based Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) probes for scanning probe microscopy applications. Covers diverse imaging modes and use cases including contact imaging, tapping/non-contact imaging, force modulation, electric force microscopy, magnetic force microscopy, scanning capacitance microscopy, near-field optical microscopy, and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Consumable product sold in package sizes of 5, 10, 20, 50, or full wafer (410+) units; quote-based pricing for most models.
• VertiSense Thermal Microscopy Module Plug-in Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM) module for atomic force microscopes that enables nanoscale thermal conductivity mapping and temperature contrast imaging with real temperature measurements from -40°C to 700°C. Includes thermal probes, test samples, and calibrators, and is compatible with most commercial AFMs via Bluetooth wireless interface. Targeted at semiconductor, data storage, and advanced materials research labs requiring thermal device characterization (e.g., HAMR head testing, device thermography).
• Step Height Standards (SHS) Calibration standards designed for X, Y, and Z calibration of scanning probe microscopes and profilometers. Features step heights (100nm and 200nm), lines, grids, magnification box, and spot measurement structures defined in thermally grown silicon dioxide on silicon substrate with an optional Cr layer for surface hardening. Available in various mounting and metal-coating configurations.
• Custom MEMS & Nano Fabrication Service R&D, manufacturing, and qualification services for custom MEMS devices and nanostructures produced in AppNano's in-house clean room. Includes wet chemical processing, diffusion/oxidation, metallization, dry etching, PVD, and photolithography. Custom products include nano thermal analysis probes, piezoresistive cantilevers, flat tip probes, colloidal probes, MOSFET cantilevers, and tall tip probes.
• Characterization and Metrology Service Fee-for-service nano-scale characterization and metrology using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), Focused Ion Beam (FIB), and thin film deposition up to 6-inch substrates. Used for polymers, metallurgical samples, electronic materials, ceramics, and particle/contaminant analysis.
• Custom Probe Mounting Service Pre-mounting service that correctly mounts AFM probes on special probe holders compatible with major AFM systems (Ambios Technology, Quesant, Park Systems, Pacific Nanotechnology/PNI, NanoInk, and selected Bruker models including TopoMetrix, PSIA, and TM Microscope). Available for a small fee.

Quantifiable outcome

• Every wafer undergoes stringent quality checks at all steps of manufacturing process
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Quatek Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQuatek Inc. serves as AppNano's authorized distributor for the China/Shenzhen region. Located at Rm2509, Bao Tong Building, 13 District, BaoAn, Shenzhen 518133, P.R.C. Contact is Jay Zheng (郑少杰) at +86-755-33815218 or [email protected].

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Nanosensors (now part of NanoWorld AG group): Nanosensors is a specialized AFM probe manufacturer with a deep catalog across tapping, contact, conductive, and magnetic modes. Closest pure-play peer to AppNano's catalog-focused probe business.
• NT-MDT Spectrum Instruments: NT-MDT manufactures both AFMs and a broad portfolio of SPM probes, including specialty tips for electrical and nanomechanical modes. It is one of the most direct competitors to AppNano's catalog and custom MEMS offerings.
• NanoWorld AG: NanoWorld produces silicon and silicon nitride AFM probes under the PointProbe, Arrow, and Pyrex-Nitride lines. Directly comparable to AppNano's ACT/FORT/ACCESS product families in geometry, materials, and customer base.
• Rocky Mountain Nanotechnology: RMN manufactures functionalized and specialty AFM probes (e.g., gold-coated, biotinylated) for biosensing and conductive imaging. Overlaps with AppNano's PtSi, BioLever, and TERS specialty probe lines.
• MikroMasch (now NovaScan Technologies): MikroMasch/NovaScan produces silicon and silicon nitride AFM probes and calibration standards. Directly comparable to AppNano on probe consumables and step-height calibration standards.
• Team Nanotec: Team Nanotec manufactures high-aspect-ratio and specialty AFM probes (e.g., HQ series). Comparable to AppNano in the high-aspect-ratio Pillar/HART/NITRA-TALL product lines serving semiconductor and MEMS inspection.

Broad incumbents

• Park Systems: Park Systems manufactures AFMs (notably the NX series) and supports third-party probes. AppNano's pre-mounting service explicitly supports Park Systems AFMs, evidencing direct compatibility and overlapping customer base.
• Oxford Instruments Asylum Research: Asylum Research is a major AFM manufacturer (now part of Oxford Instruments) that also sells AFM probes. Overlaps with AppNano in conductive, magnetic, and bio-AFM probes used by the same academic and industrial research customers.
• Bruker Nano Surfaces: Bruker is the dominant AFM system and probe vendor through its Nano Surfaces division. AppNano directly competes on AFM probe consumables, where Bruker's installed-base of instruments and bundled consumables create a structural advantage.

Emerging players

• TipsNano: TipsNano is an AFM probe manufacturer offering a broad line of standard and conductive tips. Competes with AppNano primarily in the lower-cost end of the catalog probe market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/appnano
• Facebookfacebook.com/AppNano
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/applied-nanostructures/about

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AppNano