Silson
Silson Limited is a UK-based specialty manufacturer of ultra-thin microfabricated membranes (silicon nitride, silicon carbide, silicon, germanium, graphene) serving 900+ research institutions, universities, space agencies, and defense customers across 50 countries with X-ray, electron, and optical microscopy applications.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersSoutham, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Silson does
Silson Limited is a UK-based specialty manufacturer of ultra-thin, free-standing membranes used as sample supports, vacuum windows, and optical/X-ray transparent substrates in advanced scientific instrumentation. Founded in 1994 and headquartered at a purpose-built facility with four ISO 7 cleanrooms in Southam, Warwickshire, the company produces membranes from silicon nitride (stoichiometric Si3N4 and proprietary low-stress SiRN), silicon carbide (3C-SiC), mono-crystalline silicon, germanium, and CVD graphene, in thicknesses from 10 nm to 1000 nm and across TEM, multielement, and multi-frame-array formats. The underlying technology relies on anisotropic silicon wet etching exploiting the 100:1 etch-rate differential between (100) and (111) crystal planes, combined with LPCVD thin-film deposition, photolithography, electron-beam metallization, and precision wafer dicing — all performed in-house.
The product portfolio extends beyond raw membranes into value-added formats: TEM windows, finder grids, orientation membranes, liquid environment (in-situ) cells, heater chips, perforated membranes with single pores or hexagonal hole arrays, differential pressure windows tested to 4 bar, mounted membranes on customer-supplied flanges, and custom coated membranes/wafers (Al, Ti, Au, Pt, Ag, Cr, Ni, Zr). Silson monetizes the business across five revenue streams: (1) standard catalog membrane sales; (2) custom design and prototyping for enterprise customers such as BAE Systems; (3) e-beam deposition services for customer-supplied substrates; (4) wafer dicing services; and (5) installation, mounting, repair, and custom holder manufacturing. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.
The company sells direct via email and phone to a global customer base of 900+ buyers across 50 countries. The primary customer vertical is research institutions and universities conducting X-ray microscopy, electron microscopy, synchrotron radiation experiments, cryo-EM, STXM, and ptychographic tomography. Secondary verticals include photonics researchers, defense and aerospace technology companies (e.g., BAE Systems), space agencies (CNES, ESA via the MATISS experiment on the ISS), and environmental/water-technology researchers. Go-to-market is sales-led, supported by content marketing (9+ technical case studies tied to peer-reviewed publications), event sponsorship (e.g., Diamond Light Source workshops), and active Twitter presence. Ownership is private, founder/director-led (Peter Anastasi), with no disclosed institutional or venture capital backing; the company has financed growth primarily through retained earnings, modest bank debt (£373k from Lloyds Bank), and regional development grants.
Silson firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Silson
- Legal name
- Silson Limited
- Website
- https://silson.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Silson Limited is a UK-based specialty manufacturer of ultra-thin microfabricated membranes (silicon nitride, silicon carbide, silicon, germanium, graphene) serving 900+ research institutions, universities, space agencies, and defense customers across 50 countries with X-ray, electron, and optical microscopy applications.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Silson industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Microfabricated Membrane Components
- NAICS
- Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (33441), Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (3344)
- SIC
- Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674), Electronic Components, Nec (3679)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Compound Semiconductor Wafers & Substrates (SiC/GaN/GaAs/InP/Sapphire) (HDAHAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Silicon Wafers (Prime/Test/SOI) (HDAHAGAA), Wafer Services & Reclaim (Epitaxy, Thinning, Reclaim) (HDAHACAH)
Keywords
Where Silson is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Southam
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Silson business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Standard Membrane Products: Sale of ultra-thin membranes in various materials (silicon nitride, silicon carbide, silicon, germanium, graphene) as standard catalog products with set specifications.
- Custom Design and Prototyping: Bespoke membrane fabrication service for customers with specific requirements for membrane size, thickness, frame configuration, and coating. Customers include BAE SYSTEMS for microwave circuit prototyping.
- E-beam Deposition Services: Coating service for customer-supplied or Silson membranes/wafers with various metals, priced per run based on material and thickness requirements.
- Wafer Dicing Services: In-house dicing of 76.2mm, 100mm and 150mm wafers using ADT 7900 dicing saw, with submersion dicing option for membrane wafers.
- Installation, Maintenance and Repair: Membrane mounting services, repair of broken membranes, and custom holder manufacturing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | TEM Membrane pricing varies by frame thickness, membrane size, and film thickness |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Silicon Nitride Membranes priced by membrane thickness, frame thickness, and size |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | E-beam deposition priced per run |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Silson product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Silson manufactures ultra-thin dielectric membranes in silicon nitride (Si3N4 and SiRN), silicon, silicon carbide, germanium, and graphene for X-ray microscopy, electron microscopy, and synchrotron applications. The company fabricates these in its ISO 7 cleanrooms via anisotropic silicon etching, LPCVD thin film deposition, photolithography, and precision dicing, selling both standard catalogue products and bespoke designs. It complements manufacturing with e-beam deposition, wafer dicing, mounting, and installation/maintenance services for research institutions and industrial customers globally.
Product overview
Silson is a specialized manufacturer of ultra-thin dielectric membranes for X-ray microscopy, electron microscopy, and synchrotron research applications. The product portfolio centers on four core membrane materials (silicon nitride, silicon, silicon carbide, and germanium) which are produced in various thicknesses, sizes, and configurations. These base membranes serve as sample supports, vacuum windows, and differential pressure windows. The product line extends through multiple value-added formats including TEM windows/grids, multi-frame arrays, perforated membranes, coated membranes, finder grids, orientation membranes, and specialized cells (liquid environment cells, heater chips). Silson offers comprehensive services including custom design and prototyping, wafer dicing, e-beam deposition, and installation/maintenance/repair. The company serves 900+ customers across 50 countries primarily in research institutions and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Silicon Nitride Membranes
- Silicon Membranes
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 900 customers across 50 countries served since 1994
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Silson
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Silson technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Silson partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- Diamond Light SourcemajorSilson sponsored the Synchrotron Electrochemistry Workshop organized by Diamond Light Source and hosted at Jesus College, Oxford in March 2024. Company representative Peter Anastasi spoke at the workshop dinner, building relationships with synchrotron researchers.
- CNES / CADMOS (French Space Agency)majorCollaboration for MATISS-4 experiment on ISS as part of ESA Epsilon mission. Silson supplies silicon nitride membranes for biocontamination analysis experiments developed in collaboration with ENS Lyon, CNES, and CNRS researchers.
- BAE SYSTEMS Advanced Technology LtdcoreSilson manufactured passive microwave circuits under contract for BAE SYSTEMS using custom design and prototyping services, demonstrating capability for defense industry applications.
- CERNmajorCustom membrane mounting project for DN40 CF flange application, demonstrating Silson's capability to serve major international research facilities.
- SPECS Surface Nano Analysis GmbHcoreCustom mounted membranes with aluminium coating supplied for surface analysis applications, shipped in custom packaging.
- MAX IV LaboratorymajorCustom mounted membranes for ForMAX beamline applications, demonstrating membranes are suitable for advanced X-ray microscopy at synchrotron facilities.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Silson competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SiMPore: US startup commercializing ultrathin porous silicon nitride membranes for TEM and life-science imaging — a direct emerging competitor in the same ultra-thin membrane category as Silson.
- Ted Pella: US supplier of TEM grids, support films, and microscopy consumables including silicon nitride membranes — directly overlaps Silson's TEM window product category with comparable research-customer focus.
- Norcada: Canadian microfabrication company producing TEM windows, silicon nitride membranes, and MEMS-based microcomponents — the closest direct peer to Silson's membrane product line, serving the same synchrotron/EM customer base.
- Agar Scientific: UK-based microscopy consumables supplier offering TEM support films, grids, and preparation equipment — a regional direct peer with comparable B2B sales motion into research institutions.
- SPI Supplies: Supplier of TEM grids, support films, and electron microscopy preparation supplies — competing in the same membrane/grid category as Silson, primarily to academic and industrial EM users.
Broad incumbents
- Bruker: Large scientific instruments company with X-ray microscopy and electron-microscopy product lines — overlapping with the application Silson serves but at a much broader systems-and-software scale.
- JEOL: Major electron-microscopy OEM with installed base across research and industry — analogous broad incumbent in the same end-applications that consume Silson membranes.
Emerging players
- Hummingbird Scientific: Specializes in in-situ TEM holders and chip-based heating/biasing platforms that integrate with thin-film membranes — adjacent technology that increasingly consumes membrane substrates similar to Silson's.
- Protochips: Maker of in-situ TEM liquid/biasing cells that depend on thin silicon nitride membranes — an adjacent technology buyer/peer serving the same electrochemistry-and-microscopy research workflows.
- DENSsolutions: Provides in-situ TEM heating and gas/liquid cells built on thin-membrane chips — comparable customer overlap in materials-science and catalysis research where Silson membranes are also used.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Silson social profiles
Digital presenceSilson compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Silson financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Silson leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Silson funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Silson 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 Silson
What does Silson do?
Silson manufactures ultra-thin dielectric membranes in silicon nitride (Si3N4 and SiRN), silicon, silicon carbide, germanium, and graphene for X-ray microscopy, electron microscopy, and synchrotron applications. The company fabricates these in its ISO 7 cleanrooms via anisotropic silicon etching, LPCVD thin film deposition, photolithography, and precision dicing, selling both standard catalogue products and bespoke designs. It complements manufacturing with e-beam deposition, wafer dicing, mounting, and installation/maintenance services for research institutions and industrial customers globally.
Is Silson a public or private company?
Silson is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Silson founded?
Silson was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Silson based?
Silson is headquartered in Southam, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Silson make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Standard Membrane Products are the primary driver. The others are custom Design and Prototyping, E-beam Deposition Services, wafer Dicing Services and installation, Maintenance and Repair.
Who are Silson's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SiMPore, Ted Pella, Norcada, Agar Scientific and SPI Supplies. Broad incumbents are Bruker and JEOL. Emerging players are Hummingbird Scientific, Protochips and DENSsolutions.
Does Silson have an API?
No public API is recorded for Silson.
What industry is Silson in?
Silson's product category is Microfabricated Membrane Components. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHAGAB, Compound Semiconductor Wafers & Substrates (SiC/GaN/GaAs/InP/Sapphire), with a secondary code of HDAHAGAA, Silicon Wafers (Prime/Test/SOI). Its NAICS code is 33441 and its SIC code is 3674.