What Team Nanotec does

Team Nanotec GmbH is a German precision hardware manufacturer, founded in 1997 as a spin-off of IBM Germany and headquartered at the Hahn-Schickard research campus in Villingen-Schwenningen. The company develops and manufactures scanning probe microscopy (SPM) probe tips, probe tip characterizers, and silicon-based 3D-MEMS components using proprietary stencil mask technology and batch fabrication processes in a 600+ square meter Class 10 to 100 cleanroom that is ISO 9001 qualified. Its core technology combines single crystal silicon fabrication, high-precision plasma etching with well-controlled profiles and smooth sidewalls, and proprietary coatings (carbon, metal carbide, Co-alloy hard magnetic, platinum) that deliver tip radii down to less than 5 nm and cantilever stiffness up to 750 N/m.

The product portfolio spans the Aspire™ line of conical AFM probes for general-purpose imaging (tapping, force modulation, contact mode), specialized SPM probes for nanoindentation and magnetic/electrostatic force microscopy (HSC, ISC, SS-ISC, HR-MFM, HR-EFM, EL-HAR5), metrology probes for 3D-AFM critical dimension measurement (CDR and CDP series), probe tip characterizers (IVPS100, IVPS100A, IVPS100-PTB, I2FSR), SXM probe tips, and MEMS beam shaping apertures for electron beam systems. Unit prices range from approximately EUR 437 to EUR 960 per probe pack, with characterizers priced around EUR 3,685 and add-on packages (SEM imaging, frequency measurement, gold coating) priced between EUR 195 and EUR 555.

Team Nanotec serves three primary customer segments: top semiconductor factories requiring precision metrology and quality control, AFM and electron beam equipment manufacturers (including Bruker and Veeco, for which the CDR and CDP product lines are designed), and academic and government research institutions (including a co-development relationship with Germany's PTB national metrology institute). Revenue is generated through direct e-commerce sales of catalog products, custom MEMS development services for customer-specific cantilevers and probe tips, and add-on service packages. Standard catalog distribution is supplemented by three regional distributors covering Finland (innevo consulting), Japan (Tomoe Engineering), and China (Shanghai NTI), with global direct shipping from the German facility. The company is privately held with 1–10 employees and no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or institutional ownership.

Name

Team Nanotec

Legal name

Team Nanotec GmbH

Website

https://team-nanotec.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Team Nanotec GmbH is a German precision manufacturer of SPM probe tips, probe tip characterizers, and silicon-based 3D-MEMS components, serving semiconductor manufacturers, AFM equipment makers (Bruker, Veeco), and research institutions through direct e-commerce and regional distributors in Europe and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) Probe Tips and MEMS Components

NAICS

Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (33441), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

MEMS Actuators & Micro-Mechanisms (Micromirrors/Microfluidics) (HDAHALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Metrology, Inspection & Process Control Equipment (HDAHAEAH)

Keywords

• SPM probe tips
• AFM probe manufacturing
• MEMS components
• Silicon nanofabrication
• Metrology probes

Headquarters

HQ city

Villingen-schwenningen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Standard Products Sales: Sale of catalog SPM probe tips, cantilevers, characterizers, and apertures through e-commerce shop. Products include Aspire probes, SPM probes, metrology probes, characterizers, and apertures. Revenue is one-time per transaction with repeat purchase potential.
2. Custom Product Development: Custom cantilever and probe tip development and manufacturing services. Customers submit detailed specifications for non-standard dimensions. Long-term manufacturing partnerships for customer-specific components.
3. Add-on Services: Supplementary services including SEM imaging packages (195 EUR), frequency measurement packages (555 EUR), and conformal coatings (210 EUR) sold alongside main products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Team Nanotec develops and manufactures SPM (scanning probe microscopy) probe tips, tip characterizers, and a variety of silicon-based 3D-MEMS components from its ISO 9001-qualified facility at Hahn-Schickard in Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany. Offerings include catalog AFM probes (Aspire™ conical, super sharp, hemispherical, magnetic/electrostatic, high aspect ratio), critical dimension metrology probes (CDR, CDP), tip characterizers (IVPS series), SXM probe tips, MEMS beam shaping apertures, and customer-specific cantilever and probe tip development.

Product overview

Team Nanotec is a precision hardware manufacturer specializing in SPM (Scanning Probe Microscopy) probe tips and silicon-based 3D-MEMS components. The product portfolio consists of multiple product lines: (1) Aspire™ conical AFM probes (CT300, CT170, CT130, CFM, CCS) for general tapping, force modulation, and contact mode imaging; (2) SPM probe tips including hemispherical, super cone, high aspect ratio, and specialized MFM/EFM variants; (3) Metrology probes (CDR critical dimension re-entrant tips and CDP cylindrical probes) for 3D-AFM measurements; (4) Probe characterizers (IVPS and I2FSR series) for calibrating AFM tip shape; (5) SXM probe tips for specialized applications; and (6) Beam shaping apertures for electron beam systems. The company also offers add-on packages including frequency measurement, SEM imaging, and conformal coatings. Team Nanotec operates an ISO 9001 qualified manufacturing facility with cleanroom capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aspire™: Conically-shaped AFM probes for general purpose usage made of high quality single crystal silicon. The Aspire probes are robust and offer long imaging life.

Products and services

• Aspire™ AFM Probes (Conical Tapping, Force Modulation, and Contact Mode) Conically-shaped single-crystal silicon AFM probes for general purpose usage, including tapping mode (CT300, CT170, CT130), force modulation mode (CFM), and contact mode (CCS). Robust design with long imaging life and uniform tip shapes for symmetrical images. Used in AFM imaging and routine surface characterization by research labs and semiconductor metrology groups.
• Specialized SPM Probe Tips (LRCH, HSC, ISC, SS-ISC, HR-MFM, HR-EFM, EL-HAR5) Specialty SPM probe tips for advanced applications: hemispherical tips for nanoindentation, super-sharp tips for high aspect ratio imaging, hard magnetic coated tips for high-resolution magnetic force microscopy, Pt-coated tips for electrostatic force microscopy, and extended-life wear-resistant metal-carbide-coated high aspect ratio tips. Used by disk drive manufacturers, semiconductor fabs, and advanced research groups.
• Critical Dimension Metrology Probes (CDR and CDP) Re-entrant (CDR) and cylindrical (CDP) silicon metrology probes designed for critical dimension and 3D-AFM depth measurements in semiconductor production environments. CDR probes used on Bruker X-3D and Insight systems; CDP probes used on Veeco X-3D and Insight systems for depth measurements and scanner orthogonality calibration.
• Probe Tip Characterizers (IVPS100, IVPS100A, IVPS100-PTB, I2FSR) Calibration standards used to characterize the precise shape of AFM probe tips for quantitative 3D AFM measurements. The IVPS series uses vertical parallel silicon sidewalls based on 111-crystal planes; the I2FSR uses sharp overhanging silicon/silicon nitride edges. The PTB variant provides traceable calibration with line widths from 50 to 130 nm.
• SXM Probe Tips Specialized probe tips tailored for SXM (scanning probe microscopy variants) applications, including 3 nm radius tips, deep trench (DT) tips with extended reach to 7 micrometers, and re-entrant (CDR) variants with overhangs for specialized scan modes.
• Beam Shaping Apertures MEMS-based beam shaping apertures for electron beam systems, fabricated from silicon, silicon nitride, metals, or composite materials with well-controlled profiles, smooth sidewalls, and small corner radii. Used by electron beam equipment OEMs for precise beam shaping.
• Custom Cantilever and Probe Tip Development Bespoke design and manufacturing service for customer-specific cantilevers and probe tips with non-standard dimensions, geometries, and materials, combined with long-term manufacturing partnership capability. Used by AFM/SEM equipment OEMs (e.g., Bruker, Veeco) and specialized research programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tip radius as small as <5 nm for Super Sharp Improved Super Cone (SS-ISC)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• innevo consultingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for Finland region. Located at Tuulimyllyntie 6 B20, FI-00920 Helsinki, Finland. Provides local sales contact and support for Finnish customers.
• Tomoe Engineering Co., Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for Japan market. Located in Tokyo (Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku). Section 1 Advanced Materials Department handles nanotech product sales.
• Shanghai NTI Co., Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for China PRC. Based in Shanghai at Hengchang Garden, Wanping Road. Handles distribution throughout China.
• Physikalisch Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative development partner for IVPS100-PTB probe tip characterizer. PTB is the national metrology institute of Germany, providing expertise for calibration standards development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bruker Nano Surfaces: Major AFM instrument maker (Bruker Dimension, X-3D, Insight systems). Functions as both customer (uses Team Nanotec CDR probes) and broad competitor with its own proprietary probe portfolio and full AFM systems.
• Evident (formerly Olympus Scientific Solutions): Manufactures Olympus-branded AFM probes and microscopes. Competes with Team Nanotec across both consumable probe tips and full AFM instruments across industrial and research markets.
• Oxford Instruments / Asylum Research: Acquired Asylum Research, a leading AFM manufacturer. Competes in the same semiconductor and research AFM market as Bruker/Veeco systems that use Team Nanotec probes.

Others

• Rogue Valley Microdevices: US-based MEMS foundry offering wafer fabrication and MEMS process development. Comparable technical capabilities to Team Nanotec for silicon MEMS fabrication, but focused on foundry services rather than proprietary probe products.

Direct peers

• BudgetSensors: Bulgarian manufacturer of low-cost AFM probes (Tap300, BS-Tap, Multi75 series). Competes with Team Nanotec's Aspire line in the general-purpose research probe segment on price.
• NanoWorld AG: Swiss manufacturer of AFM probes and cantilevers (including NanoWorld Pointprobe and Arrow series). Most direct competitor to Team Nanotec in silicon SPM probe tips for research and metrology applications.
• MikroMasch: Bulgarian AFM probe manufacturer (now operating under spmtips.com). Direct competitor in silicon and silicon-nitride SPM probe tips for research and industrial metrology.
• Nanosensors: German manufacturer of AFM/STM probe tips specializing in high-resolution silicon and silicon-nitride probes. Comparable product portfolio in SPM consumables with overlapping customer base in research labs and semiconductor metrology.
• NT-MDT: Russian AFM instrument and probe manufacturer offering both microscopes and a broad probe portfolio. Competes with Team Nanotec on SPM probe tips and offers vertically integrated AFM systems.

Emerging players

• Silex Microsystems: Largest pure-play MEMS foundry globally, with capabilities in silicon-based MEMS similar to Team Nanotec's fabrication stack. Not a direct probe competitor but a potential capacity alternative for MEMS-based SPM components.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/team-nanotec-gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Team Nanotec