What Idonus does

Idonus sàrl is a Swiss microtechnology company founded in 2004 as a spin-off from the Institute of Microengineering (IMT) at the University of Neuchâtel (now part of EPFL's Institute of Electrical and Micro Engineering). Headquartered in Hauterive, Neuchâtel, in the Swiss Watch Valley precision-micromachining cluster, the company designs and manufactures specialty equipment for MEMS microfabrication, photolithography, surface treatment, and machine-vision-based inspection, serving academic and government research institutions, MEMS manufacturers, and the Swiss watch industry.

The product portfolio centers on three proprietary technology pillars: the UV-EXP series of UV-LED exposure systems (with telecentric homogenization optics, multi-wavelength 365–435 nm capability, and a Gen. 2 touch-screen control unit), the VPE series of HF vapor phase etchers for stiction-free MEMS release (achieving aspect ratios above 10,000:1), and the hardion™ electron-cyclotron-resonance (ECR) ion implantation technology licensed from Quertech Ingénierie SA. Supporting capital equipment includes the MAS+DIM mask alignment and double-image microscope, IR-M infrared wafer inspection microscope, WBI wafer bonding inspection, CCB chip-to-chip bonder, and E-chuck electrostatic chucks. The company also provides CNC machining, prototyping, and engineering services.

Commercially, Idonus sells through direct quotation from its Swiss headquarters with no public price list, supplemented by an exclusive channel partner in Brazil (Instrutécnica) and custom-solution engineering services. Customers named in the data include EPFL's Center of MicroNanoTechnology, the Paul Scherrer Institute, RWTH Aachen, École Polytechnique de Montréal, the University of Neuchâtel's SAMLAB/IMT, and CSEM SA — a profile heavily weighted toward research institutions that value the company's niche capability to address requests larger competitors decline.

Name

Idonus

Legal name

idonus sàrl

Website

https://idonus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Idonus sàrl is a Swiss microtechnology firm, spun out of the University of Neuchâtel's IMT in 2004, that designs and manufactures specialty UV-LED photolithography systems, HF vapor phase etchers, ion implantation services, and inspection equipment for MEMS microfabrication research institutions and precision manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Semiconductor & MEMS Fabrication Equipment

NAICS

Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing (333242), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Wafer Cleaning & Surface Preparation Equipment (HDAHAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

EDM & Electrochemical Machining (Wire/Sinker EDM, ECM) (IMAHADAF)

Keywords

• MEMS microfabrication equipment
• UV-LED photolithography systems
• HF vapor phase etching
• Ion implantation services
• Mask alignment systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Hauterive

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Sale of standard microtechnology equipment including UV-LED exposure systems, HF vapor phase etchers, electrostatic chucks, wafer chucks, chip-to-chip bonders, and inspection systems. One-time capital equipment purchases with customization options.
2. Engineering Services: Custom solution development including product customization, engineering design, prototyping, and small series manufacturing. Vertical integration enables fast prototyping with short lead times.
3. Ion Implantation Services: Surface treatment subcontracting services for semi-finished parts in small series production, including processing, process optimization, and material characterization.
4. Machining Services: CNC milling, turning, EDM, polishing, conventional machining, and surface grinding for prototyping, unitary parts and small series. Includes mechanical conception (CAD) and drawings assistance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Idonus designs, manufactures, and sells specialty microtechnology equipment for MEMS microfabrication and inspection, including UV-LED photolithography exposure systems (UV-EXP), HF vapor phase etchers (VPE), mask alignment systems with double image microscope (MAS+DIM), infrared wafer inspection microscopes (IR-M), wafer bonding inspection (WBI), chip-to-chip bonders (CCB), and electrostatic/wafer chucks. The company also provides engineering services for prototyping and small-series manufacturing, surface treatment services via ion implantation under the hardion™ brand, and CNC machining/EDM/polishing services.

Product overview

Idonus is a Swiss microtechnology company specializing in cleanroom equipment for MEMS microfabrication. Their product portfolio centers on UV-LED exposure systems (UV-EXP series) for photolithography and curing, mask alignment systems (MAS, DIM) for precision lithography, HF vapor phase etchers (VPE series) for stiction-free MEMS release, and inspection tools including infrared microscopes (IR-M) and wafer bonding inspection (WBI). Supporting equipment includes electrostatic chucks (E-chuck), wet process wafer chucks (WPWC, WEDC), chip-to-chip bonders (CCB), and complete photolithography systems (PLX series). The company also offers ion implantation services (hardion™) for surface treatment, along with machining and engineering services for custom solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• hardion™: Surface treatment technology by ion implantation offered by idonus sàrl
• UV-EXP
• VPE
• IR-M
• MAS
• DIM
• WPWC
• WEDC
• WBI
• CCB
• E-chuck

Products and services

• UV-EXP series UV-LED Exposure Systems High-power UV-LED photolithography exposure systems with telecentric homogenization optics for MEMS, microfluidics, photonics, semiconductor, and photovoltaic applications. Available in models with exposure areas from 100 mm to 600 mm and multiple wavelengths (365 nm, 385 nm, 395 nm, 405 nm, 435 nm).
• MAS + DIM Mask Alignment System with Double Image Microscope Shadow mask aligner with ±5 µm alignment tolerance combined with a double image microscope for simultaneous visualization of two alignment locations. Includes vacuum clamping and 3-axis manual alignment for thin film deposition and lithography processes.
• IR-M Infrared Wafer Inspection Microscope IR-sensitive camera microscope for inspection through silicon wafers, with 3-step zoom, long working distance objective, resolution better than 3 µm (5× objective), and an XY-table accommodating Ø200 mm wafers; optional motor drive and joystick control for semiconductor and MEMS quality control.
• VPE series HF Vapor Phase Etcher Quasi-dry hydrofluoric acid vapor phase etcher for stiction-free MEMS release, sacrificial oxide removal, and silicon micromachining with temperature-controlled operation (35–60 °C), adjustable etch rates (0–30 µm/h), electrostatic or mechanical wafer clamping, and a re-usable acid system. Produces ultra-high aspect ratio structures (>10,000:1). Available in VPE100, VPE150, VPE200, and VPE150-TRC variants.
• WBI Wafer Bonding Inspection System Infrared wafer bonding inspection device using back-illumination to visualize phenomena between silicon substrates, enabling inspection of fusion bonding and pre-structured wafer cavities.
• CCB Chip-to-Chip Bonder Precision alignment and bonding system for two single chips with three linear and three rotation axes, supporting anodic bonding or gluing processes with integrated heating and high voltage control.
• PLX series Photolithography Systems Complete photolithography systems combining the MAS+DIM mask alignment with UV-EXP exposure for integrated mask alignment and UV exposure workflows.
• E-chuck Electrostatic Chuck Electrostatic clamping device for multiple chips or wafer parts, enabling dicing before HF vapor release and production of MEMS devices with soft suspensions.
• WPWC Wet Process Wafer Chucks and WEDC Wafer Chuck for Uniform Electrodeposition Mechanical wafer chucks for backside protection during wet etching (HF, KOH, TMAH) or electrodeposition processes (WPWC), and a specialized wafer chuck with integrated ring electrode for homogenizing current density during galvanic deposition (WEDC), supporting wafers 2–200 mm.
• hardion™ Ion Implantation Surface Treatment Service Surface treatment subcontracting service using electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source technology for hardening, corrosion resistance, friction reduction, and hydrophilicity modification of metals, polymers, and silicon. Operating below 100 °C, applicable to 2D and 3D parts, including processing, process optimization, and material characterization for medical implants and cutting tools.
• Engineering, Machining and Prototyping Services Custom engineering services including product customization, design, prototyping, small-series manufacturing, and CNC milling, turning, EDM, polishing, conventional machining, and surface grinding, with mechanical conception (CAD) and drawings assistance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% energy reduction compared to mercury arc lamps for UV photolithography
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and foundational.

• Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2020PSI researchers Lucia Romano et al. co-published research on metal assisted chemical etching using idonus HF Vapor Phase Etcher, producing ultra-high aspect ratio silicon nanowires (10,000:1) for X-ray optics. Published in Nanoscale Horizons, 2020.
• InstrutécnicacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInstrutécnica Comércio Representações e Serviços Ltda. serves as Idonus's exclusive sales representative in Brazil, headed by Mr. Hugo Vasconcellos in Campinas SP. Handles sales inquiries and support for Brazilian customers.
• Institute of Microengineering (IMT) / University of NeuchâtelfoundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerIdonus was founded in 2004 as a spin-off from IMT (now part of EPFL's Institute of Electrical and Micro Engineering, IEM). Original founders and technical expertise originated from this academic institution.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EV Group (EVG): Austrian supplier of wafer bonding, nanoimprint lithography and photoresist processing equipment. Comparable to Idonus's chip-to-chip bonder (CCB), wafer bonding inspection (WBI) and lithography adjacencies.
• Raith: German supplier of nanofabrication systems including electron-beam lithography and mask-based tools. Comparable to Idonus in serving MEMS, photonics and research nanofabrication customers with precision lithography and inspection equipment.
• SUSS MicroTec: Germany-based manufacturer of mask aligners, photolithography equipment and wafer-processing tools. Directly comparable to Idonus in mask alignment and UV-exposure product lines, though operating at much larger scale and serving production fabs as well as R&D.
• Heidelberg Instruments: Manufacturer of maskless and direct-write lithography systems. Comparable in the photolithography equipment market, particularly for MEMS and microfabrication customers in research and specialty production.
• Samco: Japanese manufacturer of plasma etch, CVD and surface treatment systems for MEMS and compound semiconductors. Comparable to Idonus in deposition, etching and surface modification equipment targeted at research and specialty production.
• Phoseon Technology: US-based specialist in UV-LED curing and exposure light sources. Directly comparable to Idonus's UV-LED engine and UV-EXP series for photolithography, curing and sterilization applications.

Broad incumbents

• Oxford Instruments: Large diversified supplier of etching, ion beam deposition and nanofabrication tools. Comparable to Idonus's ion implantation (hardion™) and plasma/etch capabilities, but at vastly broader scale and portfolio.
• Plasma-Therm: US-based supplier of plasma etch and deposition equipment for MEMS, power devices and photonics. Overlaps with Idonus in MEMS process tooling (etching, surface preparation) at the production end of the market.
• SPTS Technologies (KLA): Provider of plasma etch, CVD and wafer-processing solutions now part of KLA. Competes with Idonus's VPE and broader MEMS processing equipment in advanced packaging and MEMS manufacturing.
• Hönle Group: German supplier of UV technology for curing, sterilization and surface treatment. Overlaps with Idonus UV-LED photolithography exposure and UV-based processing offerings, but with broader industrial focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBNvcfp1MWUOFf8-1BrVn1A
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/idonus

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 Idonus