What CHA Industries does

CHA Industries is a US-based manufacturer of high vacuum physical vapor deposition (PVD) systems and precision coating equipment, serving semiconductor manufacturers, aerospace and defense customers, universities and research institutions, and the advanced energy sector. Founded in 1954 and headquartered in Livermore, California — with all systems designed and manufactured at a single facility — CHA's core platform centers on the Mark Series (Mark 50, Mark 40, Mark 60), which combines sputtering and electron-beam/thermal evaporation in water-cooled cylindrical chambers, complemented by the Resolution and Criterion mid-range systems, the compact Solution system for R&D, and legacy SE/SEC-series bell jar systems. The portfolio also includes custom chambers up to 8x10 feet, Web/Roll coaters for flexible substrates, remanufactured and pre-owned systems, and a full line of components such as the patent-pending SmartSource electron beam gun, planetary fixturing, HVPS-10KW power supplies, and feedthroughs.

The company monetizes primarily through capital equipment sales on a quote-based, milestone-billed contract structure (40% on PO acceptance, 50% on shipment, 10% on installation for standard equipment), supplemented by remanufactured/retrofit sales, spare parts, and recurring service/training contracts. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting global semiconductor and aerospace accounts. In August 2024, CHA was acquired by Plasma-Therm, LLC, gaining access to a global service and distribution network spanning North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, and integration with Plasma-Therm's plasma etch, deposition, and thermal processing portfolio under a combined brand strategy.

Customer references include Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility (CNF) for plasma dicing research and unnamed global chipmakers ordering multi-tool Heatpulse RTP platforms across Asia, Europe, and the US. CHA holds ISO 9001:2015 certification (NQA) and positions its Mark 50 system, patented planetary fixturing, and 70-year process expertise as primary competitive differentiators.

Name

CHA Industries

Legal name

Plasma-Therm, LLC D.B.A. CHA Industries

Website

https://chaindustries.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CHA Industries designs and manufactures high vacuum physical vapor deposition (PVD) systems and precision coating equipment, serving semiconductor manufacturers, aerospace and defense, university research, and advanced energy customers globally from its Livermore, CA facility, now operating as a subsidiary of Plasma-Therm.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment

NAICS

Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing (333242)

akta.pro primary industry

Vacuum Pumps & Systems (IMAHANAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Vacuum Systems & Components (Vacuum Pumps, Ejectors, Cups, Grippers) (IMAHAGAN)

Keywords

• Vacuum deposition systems
• Thin film coating
• Physical vapor deposition
• Semiconductor manufacturing equipment
• Sputtering systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Fremont

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Vacuum Deposition Systems: Sale of new high vacuum deposition systems including Mark series (Mark 50, Mark 40, Mark 60), SEC/SEC series, Resolution, Criterion, Solution, and custom systems. Each system is designed and manufactured at the central Livermore, CA facility.
2. Parts and Components: Comprehensive range of spare parts including feedthroughs, fixtures, power supplies, sources, special tools, and spare parts for bell jar systems and Mark 40/50 type systems. Also includes rebuild kits and O-ring kits.
3. Remanufactured Systems: Restored used systems including Mark 50 and other CHA remanufactured systems to highest level of performance and quality, offered at lower cost than new systems. Also provides complete retrofit services.
4. Service and Support: Technical support, global service, training, and resource center access. Training courses available at St. Petersburg, FL headquarters, user facilities, and online.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CHA Industries designs, manufactures, and services high-vacuum deposition systems, including physical vapor deposition (PVD) and sputtering platforms, for precision thin-film coating applications. Its offerings encompass standard production systems (Mark 40/50, Criterion, Resolution, Solution, SEC/SE/SSC Series, Web/Roll Coater), electron-beam and arc evaporation sources, high-voltage power supplies, and spare parts, supported by training and field service. Customers are primarily semiconductor, aerospace, optics, and research organizations that require durable, customizable vacuum coating equipment.

Product overview

CHA Industries offers a comprehensive portfolio of vacuum deposition systems and precision coating equipment for semiconductor manufacturing. The product line centers on the Mark Series (Mark 50, Mark 40, Mark 60) as the core flagship systems for high vacuum deposition with sputtering and evaporation capabilities, complemented by the Resolution and Criterion systems for research and pilot production applications, and the compact Solution system for process development. Legacy products include the SEC-600/SE-600 and SEC-1000/SE-1000 bell jar systems, along with the SSC-1000 sputtering system. The portfolio also extends to custom high-vacuum systems (with chambers up to 8x10 feet), remanufactured and used systems, and the Web/Roll Coater for flexible substrate applications. Supporting the systems are critical components including SmartSource and FlashSource electron beam guns, power supplies (HVPS-10KW, Resistance Power Supplies), feedthroughs, fixtures (planetary, lift-off, flip), and special tools. The company also provides comprehensive training and technical support services. Since 1954, CHA Industries has pioneered vacuum deposition technology and was acquired by Plasma-Therm in August 2024, expanding its advanced plasma processing capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shuttleline®: PECVD platform for advanced research applications
• Mark 60
• Criterion™
• Solution™
• Mark 50®
• Mark 40®

Products and services

• Mark 50 System Industry-standard high-vacuum production physical vapor deposition (PVD) platform used for high-throughput thin-film coating in semiconductor and other production environments.
• Mark 40 System High-vacuum PVD platform for thin-film deposition in production and research applications.
• Criterion System Vacuum deposition system for controlled thin-film coating processes.
• Resolution System Vacuum deposition platform engineered for precision thin-film processes.
• Solution System High-vacuum deposition system designed for advanced thin-film coating solutions.
• SEC-600 / SE-600 Systems Sputter deposition / evaporation systems used for thin-film production.
• SEC-1000 / SE-1000 Series Systems Larger-format sputter evaporation systems for higher-volume thin-film deposition.
• SSC-1000 Sputtering System Dedicated sputtering platform for thin-film deposition in production and research environments.
• Custom High-Vacuum Systems Engineered-to-order vacuum deposition systems built to customer specifications and processes.
• Remanufactured Systems Factory-remanufactured vacuum deposition systems offered as a cost-effective alternative to new tools.
• Web/Roll Coater Continuous web/roll vacuum deposition system for coating flexible substrates.
• Used Systems Pre-owned vacuum deposition systems sold through CHA's secondary equipment channel.
• SmartSource Electron-beam evaporation source for thin-film deposition processes.
• FlashSource Arc evaporation source for thin-film deposition processes.
• HVPS-10KW Power Supply High-voltage 10 kW power supply used to power vacuum deposition sources.
• Resistance Power Supplies Resistance-based power supplies for thermal evaporation deposition processes.
• Feedthroughs Vacuum chamber feedthrough components sold as spare parts for CHA deposition systems.
• Fixtures Custom deposition fixtures and tooling for thin-film coating processes.
• Special Tools Specialty tooling and accessories for CHA vacuum deposition systems.
• Training Services Customer training programs for operation and maintenance of CHA vacuum deposition systems.
• Technical Support Services Ongoing technical and field service support for CHA installed-base vacuum deposition systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Film uniformity of ±5% or better with patented planetary fixturing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Plasma-Therm, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 August 2024CHA Industries was acquired by Plasma-Therm in August 2024. This strategic acquisition combines CHA's vacuum deposition expertise with Plasma-Therm's plasma processing portfolio, enhancing capabilities in etch, deposition, and thermal processing technologies for semiconductor manufacturing.
• Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility (CNF)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2024Sale of MDS-100 Plasma Dicing system to CNF, an open user facility for micro and nanofabrication at Cornell University. The system is funded through NORDTECH (Northeast Regional Defense Technology Hub) part of U.S. Microelectronics Commons program.
• DISCO Corp.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDISCO Corp. signed global distribution agreement for Plasma-Therm's plasma dicing technology. This partnership enables DISCO to distribute Plasma-Therm's plasma dicing solutions globally, complementing their precision cutting equipment portfolio.
• University Research InstitutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnerships with leading universities and research institutions for photonic processing and semiconductor R&D applications.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ULVAC: ULVAC is a major Japanese manufacturer of vacuum and thin-film deposition equipment, including PVD, sputtering, and evaporation systems used in semiconductor, display, and electronics manufacturing. It is the closest large-scale direct peer to CHA Industries due to overlapping product portfolio in high-vacuum deposition and similar target customers across semiconductor and R&D markets.
• Kurt J. Lesker Company: Kurt Lesker manufactures vacuum components and thin-film deposition systems, including PVD sputtering and evaporation tools, alongside a broad vacuum parts catalog. Highly comparable to CHA as it serves semiconductor R&D, university, and specialty production customers with configurable vacuum deposition systems and complementary parts/feedthroughs business.
• Angstrom Engineering: Angstrom Engineering designs and manufactures PVD and thermal evaporation deposition systems for research and pilot production, with a strong focus on modular, configurable vacuum chambers. Directly comparable to CHA's R&D-oriented product line (Solution, Criterion, Web/Roll Coater) given their shared focus on academic and specialty thin-film customers.
• PVD Products: PVD Products manufactures physical vapor deposition systems, including sputtering and evaporation tools used in semiconductor, photonics, and research applications. A direct peer to CHA given its specialty position in custom and standard PVD systems serving semiconductor manufacturers and research institutions.
• AJA International: AJA International builds magnetron sputtering, ion beam deposition, and thin-film growth systems used by research labs and specialty manufacturers. Strong comparability with CHA's offerings in configurable deposition sources (sputtering, ion beam), fixturing, and R&D/pilot-line vacuum systems.
• HHV Limited: HHV manufactures thin-film vacuum deposition systems and components for optics, electronics, and decorative coatings applications. Comparable to CHA in providing customized PVD systems with sputtering/evaporation capabilities, though serving more optics-focused end markets.
• Mantis Deposition: Mantis Deposition manufactures small-batch and research-grade PVD thin-film deposition systems used in materials research, semiconductors, and nanotechnology applications. Direct comparable given its focus on compact, research-oriented PVD systems similar to CHA's Solution/Criterion lines.
• Semicore Equipment: Semicore manufactures PVD, thermal evaporation, and sputtering systems for R&D and small-volume production. Highly comparable to CHA's niche position in configurable vacuum deposition equipment serving universities, research labs, and specialty manufacturers.
• Bühler Leybold Optics: Bühler's Leybold Optics division manufactures large-area vacuum deposition systems used in optics, automotive, and architectural glass applications. Comparable to CHA in vacuum deposition system engineering and component manufacturing, though more focused on large-area substrate coating.

Broad incumbents

• Applied Materials: Applied Materials is the dominant global supplier of semiconductor fabrication equipment, including industry-leading PVD and CVD thin-film deposition platforms. While a significantly larger and broader incumbent, its PVD systems overlap directly with CHA's core product category in semiconductor manufacturing customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/plasmathermllc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCr-W260MYPT2gdHhtfc4efQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cha-industries-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CHA Industries