What Moorfield Nanotechnology does

Moorfield Nanotechnology Limited is a UK-based designer and manufacturer of research-grade thin-film deposition, plasma etch, and thermal processing systems, headquartered in Knutsford as a subsidiary of Judges Scientific plc. Founded in 1989, the company targets universities, industrial R&D teams, and startups/SMEs working on materials science, semiconductors, photonics, perovskites, OLEDs, and emerging applications such as graphene and 2D materials. Its portfolio spans two main platform families—the compact nanoPVD benchtop range (S10A, S10A-WA, T15A, ST15A) for sputtering and thermal evaporation on substrates up to 4-8 inches, and the configurable MiniLab modular range (026, 030, 070, 080, 090, 125) supporting magnetron sputtering (including HiPIMS/pulsed DC), e-beam evaporation, thermal/LTE evaporation, glovebox-compatible load arrangements, and substrates up to 12 inches—plus complementary nanoETCH, nanoANNEAL, and nanoCVD-8G systems for low-damage plasma processing, controlled-atmosphere annealing up to 1000°C, and cold-wall graphene CVD growth.

The business runs a sales-led, quote-based model with no public list pricing; commercial engagement starts with material, process and workflow specification rather than product listings, supported by interactive product and material selector tools and an application library citing peer-reviewed research that has used Moorfield systems. Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of configured systems, with UK sales handled directly and international sales routed through a network of 16+ regional distributors spanning France, Spain, Israel, Italy, Czechia, Algeria, Poland, Romania, Benelux, Germany, USA, Brazil, Japan, China, India, and Vietnam. The company serves a long-tail of academic and research customers, illustrated by named institutional users including Cambridge, Oxford, the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, and Luleå University of Technology. Multiple product pages and the published date on a 2026 small-batch thumbnail indicate ongoing product investment, and a 'Small Batch Coater' explicitly targets pilot-scale thin-film production for startups and SMEs, signaling an extension from R&D benchtop deployment into small commercial scale-up.

Name

Moorfield Nanotechnology

Legal name

Moorfield Nanotechnology Limited

Website

https://moorfield.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Moorfield Nanotechnology is a UK-based manufacturer of research-grade thin-film deposition, plasma etch, annealing, and CVD systems, serving universities, industrial R&D teams, and startups/SMEs globally through direct UK sales and a 16-country distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Thin-Film Deposition Equipment

NAICS

Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing (333242)

akta.pro primary industry

Deposition Equipment (CVD/PVD/ALD/Epitaxy) (HDAHAEAB)

Keywords

• Thin film deposition equipment
• PVD sputtering systems
• Benchtop vacuum coating
• Plasma etching systems
• Research CVD systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Knutsford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Thin Film Deposition Equipment Sales: Sale of PVD, CVD, etch, and anneal systems to research institutions and industrial R&D facilities. Products range from compact benchtop systems to modular MiniLab platforms with various configurations for sputtering, evaporation, and CVD applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels17 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Moorfield Nanotechnology designs, manufactures, and sells research-grade thin-film deposition, plasma etching, and thermal processing equipment for universities, R&D laboratories, and industrial research groups. Its product portfolio spans the compact nanoPVD benchtop range (S10A, S10A-WA, T15A, ST15A) for sputtering and thermal evaporation on substrates up to 8 inches, the configurable MiniLab modular range (026, 030, 070, 080, 090, 125) supporting sputtering, e-beam, and thermal evaporation on substrates up to 12 inches including glovebox-compatible variants, the nanoETCH benchtop RIE/soft-etch plasma system, the nanoANNEAL vacuum thermal processing system, and the nanoCVD-8G cold-wall CVD system for graphene and carbon nanomaterial growth.

Product overview

Moorfield Nanotechnology offers a portfolio of research-focused thin-film deposition, plasma etching, and thermal processing systems. The product line comprises two main platform families: the compact nanoPVD benchtop range (including nanoPVD-S10A, S10A-WA, T15A, and ST15A hybrid systems) providing sputtering, thermal evaporation, or combined capabilities for substrates up to 8 inches; and the configurable MiniLab modular range (026, 030, 070, 080, 090, 125) supporting sputtering, e-beam, and thermal evaporation with larger substrate capacities up to 12 inches, including glovebox-compatible models. Supporting equipment includes the nanoETCH benchtop plasma etch system, nanoANNEAL thermal processing system, and nanoCVD-8G benchtop CVD system for graphene growth. All systems share touchscreen HMI or PC-based recipe-driven operation for consistent research workflows.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• nanoPVD: Benchtop PVD systems for sputtering, thermal evaporation and combined process approaches
• MiniLab
• nanoETCH
• nanoANNEAL
• nanoCVD

Products and services

• nanoPVD-S10A Compact benchtop RF/DC magnetron sputtering system for deposition of conductive and insulating materials on small research substrates. Designed for university and R&D laboratory use as part of the nanoPVD benchtop family.
• nanoPVD-S10A-WA Wide-area compact benchtop magnetron sputtering system for larger research substrates and coating areas up to 8 inches, extending the nanoPVD benchtop family for broader substrate coverage.
• nanoPVD-T15A Compact benchtop thermal and low-temperature evaporation system for metals, organics, and sensitive thin-film materials deposition on substrates up to 4 inches, used in academic and industrial R&D.
• nanoPVD-ST15A Hybrid benchtop PVD system combining magnetron sputtering and thermal/LTE evaporation in a single compact chamber for research-grade multilayer and hybrid device stack development.
• MiniLab 026 Compact modular PVD system with glovebox-aware configuration supporting magnetron sputtering or thermal evaporation on substrates up to 6 inches, designed for protected-transfer and atmosphere-sensitive workflows.
• MiniLab 070 Advanced modular sputtering system with up to four 3-inch magnetron sources supporting RF, DC, pulsed DC, and HiPIMS options for multi-source thin-film R&D on substrates up to 11 inches.
• MiniLab 080 Advanced modular evaporation platform with tall chambers optimized for thermal, LTE, and e-beam evaporation techniques, supporting substrates up to 11 inches with multi-technique capability for research and pilot workflows.
• MiniLab 090 Glovebox-compatible modular PVD system with front and rear doors for atmosphere-sensitive applications, supporting substrates up to 11 inches with sputtering, thermal, LTE, and e-beam evaporation options.
• nanoETCH Benchtop precision plasma etching system with fluorine-based RIE and soft-etch capabilities for low-damage processing of sensitive 2D materials, graphene, and semiconductor research samples, with RF power below 30W.
• nanoANNEAL Benchtop thermal processing and vacuum annealing system for thermal treatment of wafers and 2D materials under controlled atmospheres, supporting temperatures up to 1000°C with quartz lamp, CCC, or SiC-coated graphite heating and up to 3 MFCs.
• nanoCVD-8G Bench-top chemical vapor deposition system for graphene growth and carbon nanomaterials research, featuring cold-wall CVD technology with precise pressure, temperature, and gas chemistry control, 1100°C maximum temperature, and fully-automatic touchscreen operation.
• Small Batch Coater Scalable modular PVD system bridging R&D to pilot production with load-lock and automation options, intended for startups and SMEs requiring repeatable small-batch thin-film deposition.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced process development time through local benchtop capability
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 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

16 partnerships are on record, tiered regional.

• BT ElectronicsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrance-based distributor for Moorfield thin film deposition systems. Provides local sales and support for customers in the French market.
• AvactecregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpain-based distributor providing local sales and support for Moorfield PVD, CVD, etch and anneal systems in the Spanish market.
• Odem Scientific Applications LtdregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIsrael-based distributor for Moorfield thin film systems. Located in Rehovot Science Park, serving Israeli research institutions and industry.
• Emme3regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItaly-based distributor for Moorfield deposition systems, serving the Milan and broader Italian market.
• Měřicí technika Morava s.r.o.regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCzechia-based distributor for Moorfield thin film deposition equipment.
• ENTEC Engineering TechnicsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlgeria-based distributor for Moorfield PVD and thin film systems serving the North African market.
• TechnolutionsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPoland-based distributor for Moorfield thin film deposition systems.
• NanoSystems MCregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRomania-based distributor for Moorfield thin film equipment.
• ST InstrumentsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBenelux distributor (also covering Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden) for Moorfield thin film deposition systems. Located in Groot-Ammers, Netherlands.
• PicovacregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGermany-based distributor for Moorfield deposition systems.
• QD North AmericaregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUSA distributor for Moorfield thin film deposition systems. Located in San Diego, California.
• Lab SolutionsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrazil-based distributor for Moorfield PVD and thin film systems serving the South American market from São Paulo.
• ThermoceraregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJapan-based distributor for Moorfield thin film deposition equipment.
• Quantum Design ChinaregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChina-based distributor for Moorfield systems. Located in Beijing's Universal Business Park, serving the Chinese research and industrial market.
• Harley InstrumentsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndia-based distributor for Moorfield thin film deposition systems, serving the Indian market from Pune.
• DYMEK Company LtdregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVietnam-based distributor for Moorfield systems, serving the Vietnamese research and industrial market from Hanoi.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AJA International: AJA International produces sputtering and evaporation systems for thin-film research (e.g., Orion, ATC, Endeavor product lines), serving universities and R&D labs — a closely comparable direct peer in deposition equipment for research applications.
• Scienta Omicron: Scienta Omicron produces UHV surface science, thin-film deposition, and nanopositioning systems for academic and industrial research — directly comparable in serving nanotechnology and thin-film R&D communities.
• Angstrom Engineering: Angstrom Engineering designs and manufactures compact PVD and thermal evaporation systems (e.g., Amod, Nexdep, Evovac) for academic and industrial thin-film R&D — the closest direct competitor to Moorfield's benchtop nanoPVD and MiniLab families.
• HHV Ltd: HHV Ltd (also UK-based) manufactures vacuum coating and thin-film deposition systems for R&D and industrial applications, including sputtering and evaporation tools — a geographically proximate direct competitor.
• PVD Products: PVD Products makes sputtering, e-beam evaporation, and PLD systems for both research and production thin-film deposition — overlapping with Moorfield in the R&D-scale portion of their portfolio.
• Korvus Technology (formerly Mantis Deposition): Korvus Technology manufactures modular PVD and CVD systems (HEX, SQUID, OERLIKON mini) for research and small-batch production, directly competing with Moorfield's MiniLab modular range in the same customer segment.
• Semicore Equipment: Semicore Equipment manufactures thin-film deposition systems (sputtering, evaporation, ALD) targeting R&D and small-scale production — a closely comparable direct peer in the same customer and product category.

Broad incumbents

• ULVAC: ULVAC is a major Japanese vacuum and thin-film equipment manufacturer offering sputtering, CVD, and etch systems across R&D and production scales — a broad incumbent whose R&D-tier systems overlap with Moorfield's portfolio.
• Oxford Instruments: Oxford Instruments is a large UK-based scientific instrument group with thin-film deposition and plasma processing systems serving both research and industrial markets — a broad incumbent that competes in adjacent niches to Moorfield.
• Kurt J. Lesker Company: Kurt J. Lesker is a large, broad-line vacuum and thin-film deposition equipment supplier with both R&D (e.g., Nano 36, PRO Line PVD 75) and production offerings, plus sputtering targets and consumables — a broader incumbent peer with overlapping R&D products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Moorfield Nanotechnology