Intermolecular
Intermolecular is the Silicon Valley science hub of Merck KGaA's Electronics business, providing high-throughput combinatorial materials innovation, area-selective deposition, and atomic layer etching services to semiconductor, display, glass, and coatings manufacturers worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersSan Jose, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Intermolecular does
Intermolecular is the Silicon Valley science hub of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary within the parent's Electronics business (branded EMD Electronics in the United States and Canada). The company was founded in the mid-2000s as a venture-backed combinatorial materials experimentation specialist and is currently headquartered in San Jose, California, with a workforce of 51–100 employees. Its origins lie in high-productivity combinatorial (HPC) materials innovation, and it has operated for more than 15 years as a research and custom-innovation partner to electronics manufacturers.
The company's core technology is built around proprietary deposition and etching capabilities — specifically area-selective deposition (ASD) and atomic layer etching (ALE) — paired with high-throughput experimentation using state-of-the-art deposition equipment and thin-film metrology. These capabilities support Integrated Solutions that span the full semiconductor manufacturing process, complemented by a Capabilities service line, Area-Selective Deposition as a standalone offering, and a Semiconductor Materials product line. While the semiconductor industry is the primary segment, Intermolecular also serves display manufacturers, the glass industry, and the coatings industry with the same underlying thin-film and surface-treatment platform.
Intermolecular's commercial model is B2B enterprise, delivered through direct sales engagement with chipmakers and advanced materials customers, with channel leverage provided by Merck KGaA's global Electronics distribution infrastructure and Delivery Systems & Services for hazardous materials. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and operates on a project, licensing, or embedded-engineering basis rather than a standardized per-unit SaaS or product SKU model. Marketing is concentrated on technical publications, white papers, and the EMD Electronics corporate web presence rather than broad-audience demand generation. The firm functions as an internal innovation hub rather than a standalone product company, with no separately disclosed revenue, no external funding rounds post-acquisition, and no independently listed equity.
Intermolecular firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Intermolecular
- Legal name
- Intermolecular (a business unit of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany)
- Website
- https://intermolecular.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Intermolecular is the Silicon Valley science hub of Merck KGaA's Electronics business, providing high-throughput combinatorial materials innovation, area-selective deposition, and atomic layer etching services to semiconductor, display, glass, and coatings manufacturers worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Intermolecular industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Semiconductor Materials R&D Services
- NAICS
- Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (33441), Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (334)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470), Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Leadframes & Package Interconnect Materials (HDAHADAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Printed Electronics & Advanced Substrates (HDI, IC Substrates, Embedded Components) (HDAHAOAK)
Keywords
Where Intermolecular is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Jose
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Intermolecular business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Intermolecular product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Intermolecular provides high productivity combinatorial (HPC) technology products and services focused on advanced materials innovation for the semiconductor and electronics industries. Its core offerings include integrated materials solutions for the full manufacturing process, high-throughput experimentation using proprietary deposition equipment and thin-film metrology, and specialized deposition/etching capabilities such as area-selective deposition and atomic layer etching. Supporting offerings include semiconductor materials for integrated circuit production and delivery systems for hazardous materials used by semiconductor and display manufacturers.
Product overview
Intermolecular® is the Silicon Valley science hub of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, operating as a trusted partner for advanced materials innovation. The company offers a unified portfolio of services and products centered around materials innovation for the semiconductor and electronics industries. The core offerings include Integrated Solutions (comprehensive materials solutions and data-driven insights across the manufacturing process), Capabilities (high throughput experimentation with deposition equipment and thin film metrology), and Area-Selective Deposition (precision deposition and atomic layer etching for chip miniaturization). Supporting product lines include Semiconductor Materials (single partner for integrated circuit production) and Delivery Systems & Services (hazardous materials delivery). Additional resources include Technical Articles and Technical Assets (papers, manuals, datasheets).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Integrated Solutions Comprehensive materials solutions covering every step of the manufacturing process, supported by data-driven insights, for semiconductor and electronics manufacturers. Customers are integrated circuit, display, glass, and coatings producers.
- High Throughput Experimentation Services High throughput combinatorial experimentation services utilizing state-of-the-art deposition equipment and thin film metrology to meet materials needs of customers in semiconductor, displays, glass, and coatings industries.
- Area-Selective Deposition and Atomic Layer Etching Advanced deposition and atomic layer etching technology offering unparalleled precision and control for next-generation chip miniaturization, improving performance and quality of end products in semiconductor manufacturing.
- Semiconductor Materials Single materials partner offering for integrated circuit production, covering important parts in front-end and back-end of the production process for semiconductor manufacturers.
- Delivery Systems & Services Trusted global leader in safe and reliable delivery of hazardous materials to semiconductor and display industries.
Companies that use Intermolecular
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Intermolecular technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Intermolecular partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, GermanycoreIntermolecular operates as the Silicon Valley science hub and custom innovation subsidiary of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. As part of the EMD Electronics division, Intermolecular provides advanced materials innovation capabilities including area-selective deposition and atomic layer etching for semiconductor applications. The relationship provides Intermolecular with access to global resources, extensive portfolio coverage, and integration with Merck's semiconductor materials business.
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Intermolecular competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Applied Materials: Applied Materials is the largest semiconductor equipment maker globally and the dominant supplier of CVD/PVD/ALD deposition and etch tools. Its broad materials engineering capability and integrated customer programs compete directly with the services model Intermolecular offers.
- Tokyo Electron (TEL): TEL is a leading global supplier of semiconductor production equipment, including deposition and etch systems. As a broad incumbent, it provides wafer-scale deposition and etching infrastructure where Intermolecular's combinatorial materials development feeds upstream customer programs.
- Lam Research: Lam Research is a global leader in plasma etch and deposition equipment for semiconductor manufacturing, particularly in advanced memory and logic. Its process technology and customer co-development programs overlap with Intermolecular's advanced materials and atomic layer etching capabilities.
- Hitachi High-Tech: Hitachi High-Tech offers semiconductor metrology, deposition systems, and electronic materials. Its combination of thin film deposition technology and process control systems overlaps with Intermolecular's deposition, etching, and metrology capabilities.
- DuPont Electronics & Industrial: DuPont's electronics division supplies advanced materials for semiconductor fabrication, display, and packaging applications. As a broad incumbent, it competes with Intermolecular across multiple of the company's served verticals including semiconductors, displays, and specialty coatings.
Direct peers
- JX Nippon Mining & Metals: JX Nippon Mining & Metals supplies sputtering targets, semiconductor materials, and advanced thin film products to chipmakers — making it a direct competitor to Intermolecular's thin film and deposition materials portfolio serving front-end and back-end semiconductor processes.
- Entegris: Entegris is a major specialty materials and equipment supplier for semiconductor manufacturing, offering advanced deposition materials, etchants, and process solutions that directly overlap with Intermolecular's advanced materials co-optimization offering.
- Versum Materials: Now part of Merck KGaA alongside Intermolecular, Versum Materials was a leading specialty materials supplier to the semiconductor industry, providing deposition precursors, etchants, and delivery systems — making it the closest direct peer in materials innovation and delivery for semiconductor customers.
- Air Products Electronic Materials: Air Products supplies specialty gases and electronic materials for semiconductor fabrication, including precursors and process chemicals for deposition and etching — directly comparable to Intermolecular's materials innovation and delivery services model.
Emerging players
- hte (Heidelberg Technology): hte provides high-throughput experimentation and testing services for catalysis and materials research, with comparable combinatorial workflow methodologies to Intermolecular's high-throughput experimentation platform — an adjacent emerging peer in the materials innovation services space.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Intermolecular social profiles
Digital presenceIntermolecular financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Intermolecular leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Intermolecular funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Intermolecular M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Intermolecular
What does Intermolecular do?
Intermolecular provides high productivity combinatorial (HPC) technology products and services focused on advanced materials innovation for the semiconductor and electronics industries. Its core offerings include integrated materials solutions for the full manufacturing process, high-throughput experimentation using proprietary deposition equipment and thin-film metrology, and specialized deposition/etching capabilities such as area-selective deposition and atomic layer etching. Supporting offerings include semiconductor materials for integrated circuit production and delivery systems for hazardous materials used by semiconductor and display manufacturers.
Is Intermolecular a public or private company?
Intermolecular is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Intermolecular founded?
Intermolecular was founded in 2009. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Intermolecular based?
Intermolecular is headquartered in San Jose, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Intermolecular's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron (TEL), Lam Research, Hitachi High-Tech and DuPont Electronics & Industrial. Direct peers are JX Nippon Mining & Metals, Entegris, Versum Materials and Air Products Electronic Materials. hte (Heidelberg Technology) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Intermolecular have an API?
No public API is recorded for Intermolecular.
What industry is Intermolecular in?
Intermolecular's product category is Semiconductor Materials R&D Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHADAF, Leadframes & Package Interconnect Materials, with a secondary code of HDAHAOAK, Printed Electronics & Advanced Substrates (HDI, IC Substrates, Embedded Components). Its NAICS code is 33441 and its SIC code is 3823.