What Applied Physics Technologies does

Applied Physics Technologies (APT) is a McMinnville, Oregon-based manufacturer specializing in thermionic and field emission cathodes, refractory single-crystal materials, and custom electron and ion source assemblies. Founded in 1995 by William Mackie, PhD, and Gary Cabe, the company grew out of materials science research at the Linfield Research Institute and acquired its boride product line from FEI Company in 2001. APT's core product portfolio includes single-crystal LaB6 and proprietary CeBix® thermionic cathodes (the latter produced commercially only by APT worldwide), zirconiated tungsten (ZrOW) thermal field emitters also known as Schottky sources, single-crystal tungsten cold field emitters, and gallium liquid metal ion sources (Ga+ LMIS) for focused ion beam systems. The company grows and fabricates its own single-crystal materials in-house using proprietary processes that yield the lowest work function materials commercially available, and it offers custom assemblies and FEG/TEM rebuild services to optimize cathode performance in customer high-vacuum, high-voltage systems.

APT operates as a B2B enterprise supplier selling quote-based components and assemblies to manufacturers of electron microscopes, microanalysis instruments, X-ray generation equipment, lithography systems, additive manufacturing equipment, and semiconductor focused ion beam systems. Its customer base includes major scientific equipment OEMs such as FEI/Philips, Hitachi, JEOL, Denka, Cameca, Shimadzu, and Phillips/Cambridge, served through direct technical sales engagement and a regional distributor network in South Korea (Namotec), Taiwan (International Business Services), and the United Kingdom (Kore Technology). Pricing is quote-based with 30-day payment terms and warranty against defects in materials. APT operates a 10,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in McMinnville, a dedicated 10,000 sq ft R&D facility (APT Labs) in Hillsboro opened in 2021, and holds ISO 9001:2015 certification for its Schottky Precursor product line. Since January 2019, APT has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (TSE: 8036), leveraging the parent's global sales network while continuing R&D focused on electron source technologies at its Oregon facilities.

Name

Applied Physics Technologies

Legal name

Applied Physics Technologies, Inc.

Website

https://a-p-tech.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Applied Physics Technologies manufactures specialized electron and ion source components — including CeBix®, LaB6, tungsten field emitters, and gallium LMIS — for scientific and semiconductor equipment OEMs. A wholly-owned Hitachi High-Technologies subsidiary since 2019, headquartered in McMinnville, Oregon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mcminnville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Electron Source Products: APT manufactures and sells thermionic emitters (LaB6, CeBix®), cold field emitters, and thermal field emitters (ZrOW TFE) for microscopy, microanalysis, x-ray generation, lithography, and additive manufacturing applications.
2. Ion Source Products: APT produces gallium liquid metal ion sources (Ga+ LMIS) for focused ion beam (FIB) systems, including single and dual isotope variants.
3. Custom Assemblies: APT designs and manufactures custom assemblies that optimize the performance of cathodes in high-temperature, high-voltage, and ultra-high vacuum environments. Products include carbon embedded cathodes and monolithic graphite alternatives.
4. FEG & TEM Rebuild Services: APT offers comprehensive rebuild services for customer field emission guns (FEGs) and TEM modules, including inspection, cleaning, tip replacement, realignment, and testing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Applied Physics Technologies manufactures and sells high-brightness electron and ion sources used as critical components in scientific and industrial capital equipment. The company grows and fabricates its own single-crystal cathode materials (LaB6, CeBix®, and tungsten) in-house and supplies thermionic emitters, cold field emitters, thermal field emitters (Schottky sources), and gallium liquid metal ion sources to OEMs of microscopy, microanalysis, X-ray, lithography, and additive manufacturing systems. It also designs custom cathode assemblies and provides FEG/TEM rebuild services.

Product overview

Applied Physics Technologies (APT) is the world's leading producer of commercial cathodes, offering a portfolio of electron and ion sources for microscopy, microanalysis, X-ray generation, lithography, and additive manufacturing applications. The core product line includes three main types of electron sources: Thermionic Emitters (LaB6 and CeBix® cathodes), Cold Field Emitters (single-crystal tungsten), and Thermal Field Emitters (ZrOW Schottky sources). The company also produces Gallium Liquid Metal Ion Sources for FIB systems. Supporting offerings include Custom Assemblies (such as Carbon Embedded Cathodes and Monolithic Graphite) designed to optimize cathode performance, and FEG & TEM Rebuild services for tip replacement and refurbishment. All products serve demanding scientific and industrial applications requiring high brightness, precision, and reliability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LaB6 Cathodes Single-crystal lanthanum hexaboride cathodes with a 2.6 eV work function, stable emission at current densities up to 20 A/cm², and lifetimes up to 5,000 hours; used in SEM, TEM, electron beam sterilization, surface analysis, metrology, X-ray generation, lithography, and additive manufacturing equipment.
• CeBix® Cathodes Proprietary single-crystal cerium hexaboride cathodes (2.5 eV work function) for which APT is the world's only commercial producer; deliver higher current at lower operating temperatures with higher brightness and longer lifetime than LaB6.
• Cold Field Emitters (CFE) Single-crystal tungsten cathodes that operate at room temperature using strong electric fields for electron emission; available in standard configurations (FEI/Philips, Denka, Hitachi, JEOL) and custom builds for ultra-high-vacuum applications.
• Zirconiated Tungsten (ZrOW) Thermal Field Emitters / Schottky Sources Industry-standard Schottky emitters for applications requiring high brightness, improved spatial resolution, stable emission, and long life; orders of magnitude brighter than thermionic sources and offered with custom end form geometries and base/suppressor configurations.
• Gallium Liquid Metal Ion Sources (Ga+ LMIS) High-brightness, long-life gallium ion sources that are the industry standard for focused ion beam (FIB) systems; available in single- and dual-isotope variants, with gallium-69 single-isotope units preventing isotopic separation when used with magnetic lenses.
• Custom Cathode Assemblies Custom-designed assemblies including carbon-embedded cathodes and monolithic graphite heaters that optimize cathode performance in high-temperature, high-voltage, and ultra-high-vacuum environments for OEM customers.
• FEG & TEM Rebuild Services Comprehensive rebuild services for customer field emission guns (FEGs) and TEM modules, including inspection, cleaning, tip replacement with new ZrO/W emitters, realignment, and testing to original geometrical specifications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lifetimes of up to 5000 hours reported for CeBix® and LaB6 cathodes
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered regional distributor, key support partner, key community partner, supporting partner and regional partner.

• Namotecregional distributorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNamotec serves as APT's regional distributor in South Korea (Gyeonggi-Do), providing local sales and support for APT's electron and ion source products in the Korean market.
• International Business Services, Inc.regional distributorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational Business Services serves as APT's regional distributor in Taiwan (Hsinchu County), providing local sales and support for APT products in the Taiwanese market.
• Kore Technology Ltd.regional distributorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKore Technology Ltd. serves as APT's regional distributor in the United Kingdom (Ely, Cambridgeshire), providing local sales and support for APT products in the UK and surrounding regions.
• Business Oregonkey support partnerOthersBusiness Oregon awarded APT a $1,200,000 grant from the Emerging Opportunity Fund to support construction of a new ISO 7-rated clean room and improvements to the headquarters facility in McMinnville, Oregon. This grant supports Oregon innovation and the semiconductor industry.
• McMinnville Economic Development Partnership (MEDP)key community partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEDP facilitated the Business Oregon grant and supports APT's growth in McMinnville. MEDP recognized APT with the 2023 McMinnville Maker of the Year Award for their $2.5M investment and community contributions.
• Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnershipsupporting partnerImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOMEP collaborated with MEDP to support the Business Oregon grant application and facility improvement project.
• SEDCORregional partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEDCOR partnered with Business Oregon and MEDP to provide regional benefit and retain high-wage jobs through APT's expansion.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Applied Physics Technologies