Lurie Nanofabrication Facility

What Lurie Nanofabrication Facility does

The Lurie Nanofabrication Facility (LNF) is an open-access academic cleanroom at the University of Michigan, operating within the College of Engineering's Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building on the Ann Arbor North Campus. Founded in September 1986 and dedicated under its current name in April 2008 after a Lurie Foundation donation, the facility occupies 18,000 sq. ft. of total space including 11,000 sq. ft. of class 1,000/100/10 cleanroom under filter and 2,500 sq. ft. of HEPA-filtered clean space for wet chemistry, organics, and biological samples. LNF supports nanofabrication and micro/nanofabrication research at feature sizes down to 10 nm using over 130 state-of-the-art tools spanning six capability areas: deposition (LPCVD, PECVD, PVD, ALD, electroplating), patterning (contact, i-line stepper, JEOL JBX-6300FS e-beam at 8 nm, direct-write/mask making), wet and dry etching (RIE, DRIE, XeF2, ion mill), packaging (wafer bonding, lapping/CMP, dicing, flip-chip, wire bonding), metrology (AFM, SEM with EDS, profilometers, ellipsometer, interferometers, 4-point probe), and a dedicated BSL-2 biological microsystems suite (PDMS lithography, plasma bonding, bio safety cabinet, CO2 incubator).

The facility serves more than 450 active users from more than 100 University of Michigan research groups spanning U-M schools and colleges, plus external U.S. academic institutions, U.S. federal government organizations including DoD Microelectronics Commons projects via the Silicon Crossroads Microelectronics Commons (SCMC) Hub, industry and non-academic companies, and foreign academic and non-academic organizations. It is staffed by 18-19 Ph.D.-level engineers and scientists with expertise in e-beam lithography, wafer bonding, chemical vapor deposition, MEMS and integrated microsystems, photonics, surface science, and nanomaterials. Governance is split between Faculty Director Prof. Becky Peterson (since 2020) and Managing Director Dr. Sandrine Martin. Distribution occurs through four pathways: trained independent users with 24/7/365 access, staff-performed process services on a best-efforts fee basis, authorized external contractors (Hawk Semiconductor, Crystal Cybernetics, NUMED Technologies) for confidential industry work, and faculty-sponsored research collaborations with more than 100 U-M faculty across CMOS+X, ferroelectric devices, 2D and oxide transistors, RF and power electronics, quantum and photonic devices, and VLSI/microsystems design.

LNF operates a hybrid revenue model with usage-based monthly billing as the primary mechanism. Pricing schedules (effective Jan 1, 2026 after approval from the U-M Office of Enterprise Financial Planning and Analysis) differentiate four tiers: internal U-M users (Students, staff, and faculty at Ann Arbor, Flint, and Dearborn billed via shortcode with charge-reduction programs), U.S. academic or government users (invoiced by U-M financial services via purchase order or online credit card), non-academic/foreign users (premium rates, multiple payment methods), and process services (staff-performed work on a best-efforts basis). Light users spend under $1,000 per year while heavy users spend $25,000 or more, with annual rate adjustments of approximately 3%. Marketing and community-building channels include the LNF website, the LNF Online Services portal, the LNF Wiki, LinkedIn, the annual M-SHOW workshop and LNF Community Day, technical talks, and dedicated DoD Microelectronics Commons outreach; the facility does not publish revenue or fee aggregates.

Name

Lurie Nanofabrication Facility

Legal name

Lurie Nanofabrication Facility

Website

https://lnf.engin.umich.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Lurie Nanofabrication Facility is an open-access academic cleanroom at the University of Michigan providing 130+ nanofabrication tools and Ph.D.-level staff support to over 450 internal and external academic, government, and industry users via usage-based fees and staff process services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nanofabrication Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) (IMAGAGAA)

Keywords

• Nanofabrication services
• Cleanroom facility
• Semiconductor fabrication
• MEMS fabrication
• Microelectronics research

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Equipment Usage Fees: LNF users are charged monthly based on their activity in the LNF. Charges include equipment usage as well as daily and per-entry fees. Internal (U-M) users are billed directly to a U-M shortcode via Service Unit Billing. External users are invoiced by the U-M financial services with payment via purchase orders and online credit card payments. Different fee schedules apply for internal users, U.S. academic or government users, and non-academic or foreign users.
2. Process Services: LNF staff members can perform nanofabrication process services based on user specifications for a fee. This option is typically used for established processes and fabrication steps, subject to availability of staff and tool resources. All process service work is done on a best-efforts basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Lurie Nanofabrication Facility (LNF) is an open-access shared user facility within the University of Michigan that provides access to over 130 state-of-the-art nanofabrication tools, 13,500 sq. ft. of class 1,000/100/10 cleanroom space, and professional engineering services. Users from academia, government, and industry can be trained as independent users with 24/7/365 equipment access or engage LNF staff for fee-based process services covering deposition, patterning, etching, packaging, metrology, and biological microsystem fabrication.

Product overview

The Lurie Nanofabrication Facility (LNF) is an open-access academic cleanroom at the University of Michigan offering a unified platform of nanofabrication capabilities and services. The core platform consists of the LNF Online Services web portal for scheduling and access, supported by the LNF Wiki knowledge base. Service offerings include LNF Process Services (staff-performed fabrication) and access to an External Contractor Network for advanced processing. The facility's technical capabilities span six major areas: Deposition (LPCVD, PECVD, PVD, ALD, electroplating), Patterning (optical, e-beam, and direct-write lithography), Etching (RIE, DRIE, wet etching), Packaging (wafer bonding, dicing, wire bonding), Metrology (AFM, SEM, profilometry), and Biological Microsystems (BSL-2 certified space for soft lithography). Users can access equipment 24/7/365 after completing training, or engage staff for process services on a fee basis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LNF Online Services Web-based platform for LNF users to schedule equipment, submit helpdesk tickets, access training materials, view usage reports, and manage account access. Available 24/7 for trained independent users.
• LNF Process Services Staff-performed nanofabrication services including optical and E-beam lithography, RIE and DRIE, wafer bonding, thermal processes, thin film depositions, soft lithography and microfluidics, and analytical services. Provided on a best-efforts fee basis subject to staff and tool availability.
• External Contractor Network Authorized third-party contractors who perform advanced nanofabrication as a service from within the LNF facility. Includes Hawk Semiconductor LLC, Crystal Cybernetics LLC, and NUMED Technologies LLC.
• Deposition Capabilities Thin film deposition and annealing services including 9 furnace tubes for diffusion/oxidation/doping/annealing, 14 LPCVD furnace tubes, 2 PECVD systems, 8 PVD systems, 2 ALD systems, and electroplating for Cu, Au, Ag, Pt, Ni, Fe-Ni, In.
• Patterning Capabilities Lithography services including contact aligners (1.5µm minimum feature), i-line stepper projection lithography (0.5µm), JEOL JBX6300-FS E-beam lithography (8nm minimum feature), direct write and mask making (0.3µm), and automated photoresist coat/develop.
• Etching Capabilities Wet and dry etching services including 3 RIE systems plus 1 AMAT cluster tool, 4 DRIE systems, XeF2 silicon etching, ion mill, photoresist ashers, dedicated wet etching (KOH, TMAH, HF/HNO3), and 16 wet processing benches.
• Packaging Capabilities Wafer bonding (direct, Si-Si fusion, eutectic, polymer, anodic, thermo-compression), lapping, chemical mechanical polishing, dicing (up to 6 inch wafers), flip-chip bonding, and wire bonding (wedge and ball systems).
• Metrology Capabilities Characterization tools including AFM (TUNA, surface potential, magnetic force), SEM (Hitachi SU8000 with EDS), optical and mechanical profilometers, spectroscopic reflectometry, ellipsometer, optical interferometers, 4-point probe, and fluorescent microscope.
• Biological Microsystems Capabilities Dedicated BSL-2 certified space with soft lithography suite (PDMS mixing, CVD, SU8 lithography, plasma chamber), bio safety cabinet, CO2 incubator, mixer, centrifuge, and substrate cleaning equipment for biological microsystem fabrication.

Quantifiable outcome

• Feature sizes down to 10 nanometers achievable for device and microsystem fabrication
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• IntelminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 June 2023Intel provided support that allowed LNF to keep registration fees low for the 2023 M-SHOW (Michigan Semiconductor Hands-On Workshop) on June 8, 2023.
• American Vacuum Society (AVS) Michigan ChapterminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 June 2023The AVS Michigan chapter hosted their 2023 symposium at the University of Michigan on June 7, 2023, the day before the M-SHOW workshop. The symposium focused on the impact of the CHIPS and Science Act on Michigan and the future of semiconductors and microelectronics.
• Silicon Crossroads Microelectronics Commons (SCMC) HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe LNF is a proud participant in the U.S. Department of Defense's Microelectronics Commons as a member of the SCMC Hub infrastructure network. The LNF has a Microelectronics Commons-dedicated engineer funded by the SCMC to support lab-to-fab research and development needs for DoD projects.
• University of Michigan FacultycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe LNF can connect users with more than 100 faculty at the University of Michigan who work in semiconductor-related areas for collaborations and sponsored research. Specialties include CMOS+X, ferroelectric devices, next generation memories, BEOL 2D and oxide transistors, RF & power electronics, quantum/optical/photonic devices, and VLSI/microsystems design.
• Hawk Semiconductor, LLCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party external contractor providing processing services at the LNF. Contact: Thomas Daunais at [email protected] or (231) 740-2720. These consultants are authorized, experienced users who accept contract work for fabrication projects.
• Crystal Cybernetics LLCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party external contractor providing processing services at the LNF. Contact: Christopher L Frewin at [email protected] or (813) 545-7065. Located at 1230 S Otter Creek Rd, Monroe, MI 48161. Authorized experienced users accepting contract work.
• NUMED Technologies, LLCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party external contractor providing processing services at the LNF. Contact: Robert Hower at [email protected] or (734) 827-4370. Authorized experienced users accepting contract work for advanced nanofabrication processes.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stanford Nanofabrication Facility (SNF): Stanford University's shared cleanroom facility offering nanofabrication equipment and process services to academic and industry users with similar fee-for-service model and 24/7 trained-user access.
• MIT.nano: Massachusetts Institute of Technology's open-access nanofabrication facility supporting research in nano-scale devices, materials, and systems with state-of-the-art cleanroom tools and similar user-fee structure for academic/industry users.
• Birck Nanotechnology Center: Purdue University's open-access micro/nanofabrication facility within Discovery Park, offering similar process capabilities (e-beam lithography, deposition, etching) and serving academic/industry users through a comparable fee-based model.
• Nanotech West Laboratory: Ohio State University's shared nanofabrication facility offering similar MEMS, semiconductor, and bio-microfabrication services with trained-user and staff-supported access for academic and industry clients.
• Microelectronics Research Center (UT Austin): University of Texas at Austin's shared nanofabrication facility providing semiconductor and MEMS fabrication services with similar equipment breadth and industry/academic user access model.
• Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility (CNF): Cornell University-operated open-access nanofabrication facility offering similar tool sets, cleanroom access, and process services to academic, government, and industry users. Operates as a NNCI node with comparable training and staff-supported service model.
• Washington Nanofabrication Facility (WNF): University of Washington's open-access nanofabrication user facility offering comparable cleanroom process capabilities, training programs, and usage-based fee structure for academic and industrial researchers.

Emerging players

• SkyWater Technology: U.S.-based commercial foundry offering semiconductor prototyping, MEMS, and advanced packaging services including emerging capabilities through the CHIPS Act-funded SkyWater Florida expansion; competes for industrial nanofab/prototype customers that might otherwise use university facilities like LNF.

Others

• Sandia National Laboratories MESA: U.S. national laboratory microfabrication complex operating advanced semiconductor and MEMS fabrication capabilities for national-security research; comparable tooling and process expertise but government-only mission rather than open academic facility.

Broad incumbents

• IMEC: World-leading independent semiconductor R&D and nanofabrication service organization offering advanced process development, prototyping, and low-volume manufacturing to global industry and academic partners; broader scope and commercial scale than university facilities like LNF.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lurie-nanofabrication-facility

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Lurie Nanofabrication Facility