What PNDetector does

PNDetector GmbH, founded in 2007 and headquartered on the Siemens Technology Campus in Munich, Germany, manufactures high-performance radiation detectors and integrated detector systems for X-ray spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray imaging, and electron detection in electron microscopy. The portfolio is built on Silicon Drift Detector (SDD) and pn-junction Charge Coupled Device (pnCCD) technologies founded on the sideward-depletion principle (Rehak/Gatti, 1983), with the broadest SDD line on the market — Base, Ultra, Large, Racetrack, High-Flux, and multi-channel (Rococo) variants — together with the pnCCD-based Color X-ray Camera (CXC), pnCCD (S)TEM Camera, and Backscattered/STEM detector modules and systems. Differentiated performance metrics include Ultra SDD energy resolution down to 121 eV FWHM @ Mn-Kα, pnCCD (S)TEM readout up to 7,500 fps with single-electron sensitivity (SNR 300:1), and Rococo monolithic 4-channel SDDs achieving solid angles up to 1.8 sr and count rates up to 4 Mcps.

The company operates a vertically integrated production model through its PNFab line — a 500 sqm ISO 4-6 cleanroom for silicon sensor fabrication and a 300 sqm ISO 5-7 area for packaging, qualification and system integration — giving it end-to-end control from raw silicon wafer to packaged detector. Revenue is generated through direct hardware sales of detector modules and complete systems to OEM instrument manufacturers, plus customer-tailored solutions and an emerging Application Lab service offering. Customer segments include OEM scientific-instrument makers (SEM, TEM, XRF, TXRF), research institutions and universities (e.g., University of Regensburg, ZELMI/TU Berlin, FZ Jülich), synchrotron and free-electron laser facilities (BESSY, European XFEL, LCLS, FLASH), industrial QA users, and space agencies (BepiColombo/MIXS). Marketing reach relies on an active scientific conference circuit (M&M, IMC, DXC, EXRS, ESRF, BESSY user meetings), peer-reviewed publications, and a bilingual English/Chinese website indicating explicit international — including Chinese — market intent.

Name

PNDetector

Legal name

PNDetector GmbH

Website

https://pndetector.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

PNDetector GmbH is a Munich-based manufacturer of high-performance silicon radiation detectors — including Silicon Drift Detectors, pnCCD-based X-ray cameras, and BSE/STEM detectors — sold worldwide to OEM scientific-instrument makers, research institutions, synchrotron/FEL facilities, industrial QA users, and space agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Radiation Detectors

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (33441), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Optoelectronic / Photonics Foundries (Silicon Photonics/LED/Laser) (HDAHACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Photodiodes & Discrete Photodetectors (HDAHAHAL)

Keywords

• Silicon drift detectors
• Radiation detector modules
• X-ray spectroscopy detectors
• Electron microscopy detectors
• XRF spectrometer systems

Headquarters

HQ city

München

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Radiation Detector Modules and Systems: PNDetector manufactures and sells high-performance radiation detector modules and systems, including SDD modules, XRF spectrometers, BSE/STEM detectors, pnCCD cameras, and CXC systems. The company sells both through serial production and customer-tailored/OEM solutions. Products are sold worldwide to OEM customers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

PNDetector manufactures and sells high-performance silicon radiation detectors—including Silicon Drift Detector (SDD) modules and systems, pnCCD-based Color X-ray Cameras and (S)TEM Cameras, BSE and STEM detectors, and XRF spectrometers—for OEM instrument makers, research institutions, synchrotron and free-electron laser facilities, space programs, and industrial quality assurance users. Production is performed at the company's PNFab cleanroom in Munich and offered both as standard serial products and as customer-tailored solutions sold worldwide.

Product overview

PNDetector manufactures high-performance radiation detectors for X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray imaging, and electron detection in electron microscopy. The product portfolio centers on Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) available in multiple form factors (Base, Ultra, Large, Racetrack, High-Flux, Multi-Cell/Rococo), which are offered as standalone modules or integrated into complete spectrometer systems (XRS, XRP-A, XRS-A). The company also produces the pnCCD-based Color X-ray Camera (CXC) for spectroscopic X-ray imaging and the pnCCD (S)TEM Camera for direct electron detection. For electron microscopy, PNDetector offers BSE detectors and STEM detectors (Standard and Advanced versions) in both module and system configurations. The product line includes supporting components (Main Amplifiers, Retractable Arms) and software (PNOnline, PNCamSuite) with SDK/API developer options. Manufacturing is performed in-house with ISO-certified cleanroom facilities for silicon sensor fabrication, packaging, and system integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PNFab: Internal silicon sensor fabrication facility with clean room for manufacturing radiation detectors
• pnCCD (S)TEM Camera
• Color X-ray Camera (CXC)
• ROCOCO
• PNOnline Software

Products and services

• Base SDDs Silicon Drift Detector (SDD) modules for standard X-ray spectroscopy applications, covering active areas from 5 mm² to 30 mm² and delivering energy resolution down to 125 eV FWHM at Mn-Kα. Used by OEM instrument makers and end-users for XRF and EDX analysis.
• Ultra SDDs High-end SDD modules with chip-integrated JFET (SD3plus) design achieving energy resolution at the theoretical limit—down to 121 eV at Mn-Kα and 36 eV at C-K, enabling light-element detection including Lithium K-line and Aluminum L-line. Targeted at demanding X-ray spectroscopy and light-element analysis.
• Large SDDs Large-area SDD modules with active areas up to 100 mm², achieving solid angles exceeding 1 sr and energy resolution down to 123 eV at Mn-Kα. Used where high count-rate collection is needed in X-ray spectroscopy applications.
• Racetrack SDDs Oval-shaped (racetrack) SDDs designed to be placed extremely close to samples within restricted spaces, achieving solid angles up to 2 sr. Targeted at OEM instrument integrations where spatial constraints rule out standard round SDDs.
• High-Flux SDDs SDDs equipped with ASIC preamplifiers optimized for high-throughput applications, achieving excellent energy resolution at count rates up to 1 Mcps. Used in high-flux XRF, EDX, and synchrotron beamlines.
• Rococo Multi-Cell SDDs Monolithic annular 4-channel SDD sensors with a central hole for beam passage, providing huge solid angles up to 1.8 sr and count rates up to 4 Mcps for shadow-free EDX mapping. Designed for high-sensitivity multichannel X-ray detection.
• Novel Packaging Techniques (PTW / UTW / Be / Windowless) Advanced detector window and packaging solutions including in-house Planar Thin Windows (PTW-TP transparent, PTW-LS light-suppressing, PTW-LT light-tight), Ultra-Thin Polymer Windows (UTW), Beryllium Windows, and windowless configurations. Sold as part of detector module offerings for systems requiring light-element detection down to Beryllium.
• XRF Spectrometer (XRS) Universal XRF spectrometer platform for laboratory and industrial microanalysis, configurable with Base, Ultra, or Large SDD detector modules. Provides a complete system solution for X-ray fluorescence analysis in science labs and quality assurance environments.
• XRP-A Flexible XRF Spectrometer Compact XRF detector system engineered for high count-rate performance and throughput applications, maintaining excellent energy resolution at short peaking times. Used in high-flux XRF measurements.
• XRS-A All-in-One XRF Spectrometer Compact, all-in-one XRF spectrometer integrating a hermetically sealed SDD module, preamplifier, power supply, Peltier cooling control, and digital pulse processor in a single unit. Designed as a turnkey benchtop XRF system.
• Multichannel SDD Spectrometer (Rococo System) 4-channel SDD spectrometer system built on the monolithic annular Rococo SDD geometry, achieving ultra-large solid angles up to 1.8 sr and count rates up to 4 Mcps for XRF, XRD, and EDX applications.
• Color X-ray Camera (CXC) High-resolution energy-dispersive pnCCD-based spectroscopic X-ray imaging system offering 4D imaging with simultaneous time, energy, and spatial resolution. The 264x264 pixel pnCCD delivers energy range 200 eV to 30 keV, 145 eV FWHM energy resolution at Mn-Kα, ultra-fast readout up to 1000 fps, and sub-pixel resolution below 15 µm.
• pnCCD (S)TEM Camera Pixelated, fast, radiation-hard direct electron imager for Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning TEM (STEM). Provides signal-to-noise ratio of 300:1 at 80 keV, single-electron detection from 20 keV to 300 keV, ultra-fast readout up to 7500 fps in 4x binning mode, and radiation hardness above 10¹⁸ electrons/cm² at 80 keV.
• Standard BSD Module Silicon p-i-n diode Backscattered Electron Detector (BSD) modules for Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM), with active areas from 40 mm² to 150 mm², signal capacitance down to 3 pF, and dark currents below 1 nA. Energy range 0.5 keV to 300 keV; signal rise times down to 10 nsec; geometric collection efficiency up to 65%.
• Advanced BSD Module Ultrafast Backscattered Electron Detector module with an integrated 4-channel preamplifier in the detector housing, enabling HD TV-speed imaging with pixel dwell times down to 10 ns and sharp images without smearing artifacts.
• Standard STEM Detectors Annular STEM detectors based on fully depleted p-i-n diodes (450 µm thickness), enabling Differential Phase Contrast (DPC) measurements over an energy range of 5 keV to 300 keV. Designed for SEM-STEM and TEM-STEM imaging.
• Advanced STEM Detectors Advanced annular STEM detectors with a 16-channel preamplifier integrated into a compact housing, enabling ultra-fast scan rates with low noise and response times under 30 ns. Built for high-throughput STEM imaging in SEM and TEM.
• BSD/STEM System Complete integrated BSD or STEM detector setup combining the detector, main amplifier, and retractable arm, designed for drop-in installation in SEM and TEM chambers. Sold as a turnkey system for OEMs and end-users.
• Main Amplifier 4-channel summing amplifier supporting scan rates up to 100 MHz with adjustable gain (1-1000), offset/brightness settings, and USB connectivity. Sold as a standalone component for BSE/STEM detector systems in SEM and TEM.
• Retractable Arm Linear feedthrough for precise X-Y-Z positioning of BSD and STEM detectors within SEM and TEM chambers, with integrated electrical feedthrough for up to 16 channels. Sold as a standalone positioning accessory for detector systems.
• PNOnline Software Camera control and data acquisition software for the pnCCD (S)TEM Camera, providing live visualization, synthetic imaging capabilities, and full raw data access in PNDetector's frms6 file format. Compatible with common data analysis frameworks such as LiberTEM.
• PNCamSuite Software & SDK/API Software suite for CXC (Color X-ray Camera) systems, including live view, spectroscopic imaging and elemental analysis, event analysis and smart counting, offline analysis, advanced timing and synchronization, configuration/calibration, and SDK/API developer options for integration with external frameworks.
• PNFab Silicon Sensor Fabrication Service Manufacturing service providing 500 sqm of ISO 4-6 cleanroom for ultra-clean double-sided processing of silicon wafers, enabling fabrication of sensors with extremely low leakage current and integrated electronics. Available to internal PNDetector product lines and to external customers on a contract basis.
• PNFab Packaging & System Integration Service Manufacturing service covering over 200 sqm ISO 5-7 cleanroom area for sensor packaging, electrical and spectroscopic characterization, and full product qualification, supporting PNDetector's detector modules and OEM customer-tailored detector solutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy resolution down to 121 eV FWHM @ Mn-Kα with SD3plus Ultra SDD detectors
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Amptek: Amptek is a US-based specialist in silicon drift detectors, CdTe detectors, and X-ray/electron detection modules used in OEM analytical instruments. Like PNDetector, it focuses on high-performance SDDs and serves OEM customers in EDX, XRF, and space/scientific instruments.
• Gatan (AMETEK): Gatan, part of AMETEK, supplies cameras, spectrometers, and EELS/EDS detectors for TEM, including direct electron detectors that compete with PNDetector's pnCCD (S)TEM Camera. Both companies serve the same TEM OEM and research customer base in 4D-STEM and analytical electron microscopy.
• KETEK (a Broadcom company): KETEK (now part of Broadcom) is a Munich-based pioneer of Silicon Drift Detector technology for X-ray spectroscopy and a direct historical peer to PNDetector in the SDD module market. Both companies share the Munich semiconductor ecosystem and compete for the same EDX/XRF OEM customers.
• Varex Imaging: Varex Imaging is a leading independent manufacturer of X-ray detector components and tubes for medical, industrial, and security imaging. While it serves a broader market than PNDetector, its X-ray detector and OEM module business overlaps directly with PNDetector's XRF/spectroscopy product family.
• Oxford Instruments: Oxford Instruments' X-ray Technology division manufactures Silicon Drift Detectors and EDX/EDS systems for SEM and laboratory XRF, mirroring PNDetector's core SDD and spectrometer offerings. Both companies target the same OEM and end-user analytical instrument market globally.
• DECTRIS: DECTRIS is a Swiss specialist in hybrid pixel (DECTRIS PILATUS, EIGER) and charge-integrating X-ray detectors used in synchrotrons, XFELs, and laboratory X-ray imaging - directly comparable to PNDetector's pnCCD-based Color X-ray Camera in scientific X-ray imaging applications.

Broad incumbents

• Hitachi High-Tech:
• Brüker: Brüker is a major analytical instruments company whose X-ray and EDS businesses sell SDD-based detectors and EDX systems for SEM/TEM that directly overlap with PNDetector's product lines. It is the largest commercial reference in the X-ray spectroscopy/EDX space and competes for the same OEM and end-user customers.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher Scientific supplies electron microscopes and integrated EDX/EDS detector solutions (historically via the Thermo Scientific and former FEI/Phenom lines) that compete with PNDetector's BSE/STEM detector modules at the OEM level. Its scale and instrument portfolio make it the dominant incumbent in electron microscopy.

Emerging players

• Direct Electron: Direct Electron develops direct electron detectors and cameras for TEM with a focus on low-dose imaging, competing with PNDetector's pnCCD (S)TEM Camera in the high-end electron microscopy market. It is a smaller specialist player that has gained traction in life sciences cryo-EM, an adjacent but partially overlapping market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pndetector

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 PNDetector