MSI

What MSI does

Materials Science International, Inc. (MSI) is a privately held U.S. specialty manufacturer founded in 1981 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The company designs and fabricates high-purity sputtering targets — including rotary, planar, and monolithic planar configurations up to 4 meters in length — used as consumables in physical vapor deposition (PVD) thin-film coating processes. Underlying production capabilities span metal casting (including pure tin, pure zinc, and Zn/Sn alloys at 99.5%–99.99% purity, with cast thicknesses up to 16 mm), rolling and straightening, thermal spraying, CNC machining, and metallic bonding. The thermal spray process is positioned as a key technical differentiator, enabling economical production of targets from ceramics, oxides, and high-melting-point metals that are uneconomic to produce by alternative methods.

MSI operates from two Columbus facilities totaling 75,000 sq ft — the original 25,000 sq ft headquarters at 1660 Georgesville Road and a 50,000 sq ft manufacturing site at 1400 Norton Road added in 2008 — supported by an in-house Machine Shop and an R&D function focused on grain size and surface texture optimization. The company sells direct to industrial B2B customers on a quote-based, custom-manufactured basis, with sales engineers assisting in material and bonding selection. End markets are diversified across architectural and industrial glass, automotive, photovoltaic (solar), optical coatings, hardware and tooling, and aerospace coatings. Quality is anchored by ISO 9001:2015 certification (originally issued by BSI in 2016, transferred to American Global Standards in 2017, valid through February 2029), with additional compliance to REACH (SVHC declaration, June 2024 candidate list), TSCA Section 6(h), California Proposition 65, and the Responsible Minerals Assurance Process for conflict-free sourcing. Distribution is direct from Ohio to global customers, supported by a website quote-request workflow, an active LinkedIn presence, and participation in industry events such as the annual SVC (Society of Vacuum Coaters) Show.

Name

MSI

Legal name

Materials Science International, Inc.

Website

https://msitarget.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MSI is a privately held Columbus, Ohio manufacturer of high-purity custom sputtering targets — rotary, planar, and monolithic planar up to 4 meters — used in PVD thin-film coating for architectural glass, automotive, photovoltaic, optical, tooling, and aerospace customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sputtering Targets / Thin Film Coating Materials

NAICS

Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (3344), Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring (332813)

akta.pro primary industry

Thin-Film Deposition Materials (PVD/CVD/ALD Targets & Precursors) (HDAHAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coating, Painting & Plating (Powder Coat, Anodizing, Electroplating, PVD/CVD) (IMAAAGAI), Surface Treatment & Finishing Equipment (Coating, Plating, Deburring, Shot Blasting) (IMAHADAJ)

Keywords

• Sputtering targets
• Thin film coating
• PVD sputtering materials
• Rotary target manufacturing
• Planar target production

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sputtering Target Manufacturing: Design, manufacture and service of high-purity sputtering targets for thin film coating applications across multiple industries including architectural glass, automotive, photovoltaic, optical coatings, hardware/tooling, and aerospace coatings. Revenue generated through direct B2B sales of custom-manufactured components with pricing based on specifications, purity levels, and order volumes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MSI designs and manufactures high-purity sputtering targets (rotary and planar configurations) for physical vapor deposition (PVD) thin film coating applications. The company operates two Columbus, Ohio manufacturing facilities totaling 75,000 square feet, producing custom targets using metal casting, thermal spray, CNC machining, rolling/straightening, and metallic bonding processes for industrial customers across architectural glass, automotive, photovoltaic, optical coatings, hardware/tooling, and aerospace sectors.

Product overview

MSI (Materials Science International, Inc.) is a world-class manufacturer of high-quality sputtering targets for thin film coating applications. The company operates from Columbus, Ohio with two manufacturing facilities totaling 75,000 square feet. Its core product portfolio centers on sputtering targets, offered in three main configurations: rotary targets (rotatable cylindrical designs for continuous sputtering), planar targets (flat targets in monolithic or segmented styles up to 4 meters long), and thermal spray services. MSI serves diverse industries including architectural and industrial glass, automotive, photovoltaic (solar panels), optical coatings, hardware and tooling, and aerospace coatings. The company differentiates through custom manufacturing capabilities, advanced R&D for grain size and surface texture optimization, and comprehensive quality management certified to ISO 9001:2015.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sputtering Targets High-purity sputtering targets used for thin film deposition in PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) applications across multiple industries including architectural glass, automotive, photovoltaic, optical coatings, hardware and tooling, and aerospace coatings. Manufactured to customer specifications in rotary, planar, and monolithic planar styles.
• Rotary Targets Rotatable sputtering targets manufactured to custom drawing specifications for continuous sputtering applications, available in purities from 99.5% to 99.99%, including specialized Zinc-Tin alloy, pure Tin, and CP2 grade Titanium compositions. Supports any end seal configuration including dogbone or titanium collar rotatable targets.
• Planar Targets Planar sputtering targets designed to avoid introduction of raw material surface contaminants, available in segmented planar and/or monolithic planar styles (clamp or bolt down), produced via casting, thermal spraying, or bonding processes. Monolithic planar targets up to 4 meters in length can be produced using thermal spray processes.
• Thermal Spray Services Thermal spray manufacturing service for producing ceramic and metal sputtering targets up to 4 meters in length, including rotatable and planar targets. Also offers wear coat finishes, corrosion/erosion repair, and equipment/tooling resurfacing. Enables economical production of targets from metals, oxides, high-temperature melting metals, and alloys that cannot be economically produced with other fabrication methods.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sputtering targets with purities ranging from 99.5% to 99.99%
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSI aligns its 3GT (trace to mine) procurement with suppliers/vendors who support/follow RMI's Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP), formerly Conflict-Free Smelter Program (CFSP). This provides independent third-party assessments through an OECD-aligned industry mechanism for material source verification.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Plasmaterials, Inc. US-based manufacturer of high-purity sputtering targets and evaporation materials for thin-film deposition. Direct competitor in custom and standard target production serving industrial and research customers.
• Angstrom Sciences: Pittsburgh-based specialist in rotary and planar sputtering targets, including custom alloys and large-format targets. Closely comparable niche manufacturer competing with MSI on custom engineering for thin-film PVD applications.
• Kurt J. Lesker Company: Manufacturer and supplier of sputtering targets, vacuum components, and thin-film deposition equipment. Direct competitor serving similar industrial customers with comparable rotary and planar target offerings plus complementary vacuum hardware.
• Testbourne Ltd: UK-based supplier of sputtering targets and thin-film deposition materials with global distribution. Comparable in product range (rotary, planar, custom alloys) and serves overlapping industries including architectural glass and photovoltaics.
• Materion Corporation: Major US-based manufacturer of sputtering targets and advanced materials for thin-film deposition across semiconductor, aerospace, and industrial applications. Directly competes with MSI in custom and high-purity sputtering targets with broader product portfolio and global scale.

Broad incumbents

• Honeywell Electronic Materials: Large diversified manufacturer of sputtering targets and electronic materials for semiconductor, display, and industrial coating applications. Overlaps with MSI's served markets but operates at significantly larger scale across multiple product lines.
• Tosoh SMD: Division of Tosoh Corporation manufacturing sputtering targets and specialty materials for semiconductor and thin-film applications. Much larger incumbent with broader product portfolio, serving MSI's target segments with greater scale.
• Praxair Surface Technologies (Linde): Surface coating and sputtering target division of Linde (formerly Praxair ST). Major diversified supplier of thermal spray and thin-film materials overlapping with MSI's thermal spray service line and broader target offerings.
• Umicore Thin Film Products: Belgian specialty materials company producing sputtering targets for architectural glass, display, and photovoltaic applications. Overlaps with MSI's end markets and target formats as part of broader materials portfolio.

Others

• ULVAC, Inc. Japanese manufacturer of vacuum and PVD deposition equipment and consumables. Adjacent ecosystem participant that competes in thin-film deposition value chain with MSI serving as a materials supplier partner/customer relationship rather than direct target competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MSIRotatable
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/materials-science-int.-inc.

Compliance1 record

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 MSI