TAU Center for Nanoscience & Nanotechnology

What TAU Center for Nanoscience & Nanotechnology does

The Jan Koum Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (TAU.nano) is a multidisciplinary research center within Tel Aviv University that operates as a shared nanofabrication and characterization facility. Its core infrastructure is an 800 sqm Class 100/1000 cleanroom (NanoFab) with 15 central utility systems, 40 fabrication tools, and 20 imaging and characterization instruments, all housed within a newly constructed 7,200-8,000 sqm Roman Abramovich Building opened in May 2024. The center provides services spanning mask fabrication, lithography (mask aligner, direct laser writer, sub-10nm E-beam lithography, nanoimprint), thin film deposition (e-beam evaporation, magnetron sputtering, PECVD, ALD with ~3Å precision), etching (RIE, deep RIE, ion beam milling), femtosecond laser micromachining, back-end processing (dicing, bonding, CPD), and advanced characterization (HRSEM, dual-beam FIB-SEM, S/TEM, AFM, XPS, XRD, FTIR, Raman, ellipsometry, electrical testing). It also offers 3D Integration and Through-Strata Vertical Interconnect (TSV) capability for end-to-end local chip production.

The center operates a professional services revenue model on a pay-as-you-go, hourly basis, with rates ranging from 260 to 1,400 NIS/hr for system time and 480 NIS/hr for staff assistance, plus 200 NIS safety training and per-mask fabrication fees. It serves two primary segments: TAU's academic research community across four faculties (Medicine, Life Sciences, Exact Sciences, Engineering) and Israeli industry, including enterprises such as Intel, Bayer, and PlantArcBio, along with startups seeking rapid prototyping. The center is funded through a mix of university resources, research grants (including a 14.9 million EUR grant awarded to Prof. Dan Peer for mRNA nanomedicines), industrial service revenue, and donor-supported infrastructure investment. Its go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales of industrial services, an event-driven presence at conferences such as NANO.IL.2021, academic collaboration, and content marketing through a newsroom, newsletter, and active social channels. The center is directed by Prof. Tal Dvir and has been recognized with an R&D 100 Award in 2022 via its collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Name

TAU Center for Nanoscience & Nanotechnology

Legal name

Jan Koum Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at Tel Aviv University

Website

https://nano.tau.ac.il

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TAU.nano is a Tel Aviv University nanofabrication and characterization center offering shared access to an 800 sqm cleanroom with 40 fabrication tools and 20 instruments, serving academic researchers across four faculties and Israeli industry via hourly industrial services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nanofabrication and Characterization Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713), Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (33441), Printed Circuit Assembly (Electronic Assembly) Manufacturing (334418)

SIC

Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821), Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)

akta.pro primary industry

Advanced Packaging (2.5D/3D-IC, Fan-Out WLP, Chiplets) (HDAHADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Printed Electronics & Advanced Substrates (HDI, IC Substrates, Embedded Components) (HDAHAOAK), Package Substrates & Interposers (ABF/BT, Silicon/Glass) (HDAHADAE), Assembly & Packaging Services (Wirebond/Flip-Chip/FCBGA) (HDAHADAA)

Keywords

• Nanofabrication services
• Nanotechnology research
• Cleanroom facilities
• Semiconductor fabrication
• Materials characterization

Headquarters

HQ city

Tel Aviv

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Fabrication Services: Hourly-based service model providing access to fabrication and characterization equipment for Israeli industry, with rates ranging from 260-1400 NIS/hr for system time and 480 NIS/hr for staff assistance.
2. Academic Research Services: Research facility services for TAU's multidisciplinary research community across Medicine, Life Sciences, Exact Sciences, and Engineering faculties.
3. Training and Certification: Safety introduction and equipment training services for self-operating users from industry and academia (200 NIS per training session).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The center provides nanofabrication and characterization services through a state-of-the-art 800 sqm cleanroom housing 40 fabrication tools and 20 imaging instruments. Services include thin film deposition, lithography, etching, electron microscopy, spectroscopy, and back-end processing, delivered to both TAU academic researchers and Israeli industry on a time-based fee structure. The facility enables end-to-end chip production locally, including advanced 3D integration with Through-Strata Vertical Interconnects (TSVs).

Product overview

The Jan Koum Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (TAU.nano) operates as a multidisciplinary shared research facility at Tel Aviv University, offering a unified platform of nanotechnology fabrication and characterization services. The center's core offerings consist of Fabrication Services (mask fabrication, photolithography, e-beam lithography, thin film deposition via PVD and CVD methods, etching, micro-machining, and back-end processing) and Characterization Services (electron microscopy including HRSEM/FIB-SEM/TEM, AFM, spectroscopic analysis via XPS/XRD/FTIR/Raman/ellipsometry, optical spectroscopy, DLS, and electrical testing). These services are delivered through a state-of-the-art 800 sqm SEMI-standard cleanroom facility housing 40 fabrication tools and 20 characterization instruments. The center provides a one-stop-shop model supporting the complete R&D workflow from mask design and process development through prototype creation and device bonding, serving both academic researchers across multiple faculties and Israeli industry partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fabrication Services Comprehensive nanofabrication capabilities including mask fabrication, photolithography (micron features), electron-beam lithography (nanometer features), thin film deposition via PVD (e-beam evaporation, magnetron sputtering) and CVD (PECVD, ALD), etching (RIE, DRIE, ion beam milling), femtosecond laser micro-machining, and back-end processing (dicing, wire bonding, critical point drying, vacuum reflow). Serves both academic researchers and Israeli industrial clients.
• Characterization Services Advanced material analysis and characterization including electron microscopy (HRSEM, FIB-SEM, TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), spectroscopic analysis (XPS, XRD, FTIR, Raman, ellipsometry, UV-Vis-NIR), optical spectroscopy, DLS for particle sizing, contact angle measurement, and electrical testing (I-V/C-V analysis). Serves researchers and industry clients requiring detailed material analysis.
• Cleanroom Facility (NanoFab) 800 sqm cleanroom built to SEMI standards (Class 100/1000), featuring 600 sqm of cleanroom space with 15 central utility systems, 40 fabrication tools, and 20 imaging/characterization instruments, enabling semiconductor device development and micro/nanofabrication research for both academic and industrial clients.
• Industrial Services R&D facilities and nanotechnology services for Israeli industry, providing prototype fabrication of micro/nano devices, process development, and access to advanced fabrication capabilities for commercial applications on a time-based hourly pricing model.
• Training & User Programs Safety introduction, equipment training, and self-operating user certification programs for academic and industrial researchers using the center's facilities, enabling independent facility access after completing required training.

Quantifiable outcome

• End-to-end chip production capability eliminating need for German integration
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IntelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2025TAU.nano visited Intel Fab 28 in Kiryat Gat to learn about cleanroom environments and monitoring systems as they build their own state-of-the-art cleanroom. Discussions focused on strengthening the Israeli VLSI ecosystem and potential future collaborations between Intel and TAU.nano.
• Northwestern UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2024Northwestern University - Tel Aviv University Fellowships program providing exchange and collaborative research opportunities for students and post-docs.
• BayercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPharmaceutical partnership where Bayer tests new drugs using human heart tissues 3D-printed at Tel Aviv University, utilizing TAU.nano fabrication capabilities.
• PlantArcBiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on development of RNAi-based products and environmentally friendly solutions for agriculture.
• Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with Dr. Gideon Segev on green hydrogen production through photo-electrolysis solar cells, leading to R&D 100 Award.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• CEA-Leti: French R&D institute specializing in micro/nanotechnologies and advanced packaging, with industrial services and pilot-line capability. Directly comparable as a multidisciplinary nanofab platform serving research and industry customers.
• Bar-Ilan University – Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials: Israeli academic nanotechnology center offering nanofabrication and characterization services to its research community. Direct peer competing for Israeli academic nanofab users and small-scale industry projects.
• IMEC: World-leading independent nanoelectronics and digital R&D center operating a 300mm cleanroom and advanced packaging lines. Comparable as a shared nanofab/characterization facility serving both academic researchers and industrial partners across semiconductor, MEMS, and 3D-IC programs.
• Weizmann Institute of Science – Chemical Research Support: Israeli research institution operating nanofabrication and materials characterization facilities for its scientific community. Comparable as a domestic Israeli academic nanofab competing for the same user base and industry projects.
• Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (Micro-Nano Fabrication Unit): Israel's other major university nanofab facility, providing shared cleanroom and micro/nano fabrication services to academic and industry users in Israel. Closest geographic and functional peer to TAU.nano.
• Ben-Gurion University – Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science: Israeli university institute supporting nanoscale fabrication and characterization research. Comparable as a domestic academic nanofab drawing on similar national funding streams and industrial partner pool.

Broad incumbents

• GlobalFoundries: Global semiconductor foundry with R&D and advanced packaging capabilities, including operations in Israel. Overlaps with TAU.nano in semiconductor process and packaging development but operates as a commercial manufacturer rather than a shared research facility.
• SUNY Polytechnic Institute – Albany NanoTech Complex: Large-scale public-private 300mm nanofab complex hosting equipment, process development, and 3D-IC R&D. Comparable in advanced packaging capability but operates at a substantially larger scale than a single university center.

Regional players

• Tower Semiconductor (Intel Foundry Services): Israeli-domiciled analog and RF foundry with advanced packaging services. Comparable as a regional semiconductor manufacturing peer whose Israeli operations intersect with the same industrial customer base TAU.nano serves.

Emerging players

• Stanford Nanofabrication Facility (SNF): University shared cleanroom serving Stanford researchers and external industry users with sub-micron fabrication and characterization. Comparable as a university-operated shared nanofab with similar academic-industrial user model, though at smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TAUVOD
• Facebookfacebook.com/globaltau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tel-aviv-university-center-for-nanoscience-nanotechnology
• Instagraminstagram.com/tauinternational

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TAU Center for Nanoscience & Nanotechnology