Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V

What Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V does

Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung (IKZ) is a non-profit research institute headquartered in Berlin-Adlershof, Germany, operating within the Leibniz Association and the Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. (FVB) consortium. Founded in 1992, the institute is an international competence center for crystalline materials science and technology, structured around four research departments (Volume Crystals; Nanostructures & Layers; Materials Science; Application Science) and additional joint/support labs, covering the value chain from fundamental research to pre-industrial prototyping. IKZ produces and characterizes advanced crystals and epitaxial layers, develops novel growth processes, and applies artificial neural networks (static and dynamic) for real-time prediction and optimization of crystal growth processes including VGF-GaAs.

IKZ's technical portfolio spans float-zone crystal growth for isotopically enriched silicon-28 (up to 99.9995% enrichment), sublimation growth of aluminum nitride (AlN) at temperatures above 2000°C in multi-reactor facilities, growth of beta-gallium oxide (β-Ga₂O₃) — for which it is Europe's only manufacturer — MOVPE and MBE epitaxy, zone-refining of germanium to impurity levels below 10¹⁰ cm⁻³, and growth of specialty laser crystals (Er:Lu₂O₃, Tb-doped, Cr:LiCaAlF₆), perovskite substrates (Ba₂ScNbO₆), and SrTiO₃. The institute holds proprietary methods including a novel Ba₂ScNbO₆ bulk growth technique co-developed with Cornell University and an MBE process for SiGe/²⁸Si/SiGe quantum well heterostructures.

The institute is funded primarily through institutional core funding from the Leibniz Association (jointly by German federal and state governments), supplemented by third-party project funding from DFG, BMBF (ForMikro-GoNext at 2M€; local crystallization at 1.5M€), ERC (NEMOCRYS Starting Grant at 1.5M€), EFRE, and industrial partners. Additional revenue streams come from technology transfer, supply of specialty crystals (AlN, Ga₂O₃), characterization services, and licensing. Customers and collaboration partners include academic and government research institutions, semiconductor and photonics companies (FBH, IHP, AIXTRON, ABB Power Grids, ams OSRAM), metrology bodies (PTB), the LEGEND international neutrino physics collaboration, and industrial partners such as BESTec, FCM GmbH, and Crystec GmbH. The institute operates as a recognized spin-off originator, with NextGO Epi cited as a startup derived from IKZ technology.

Name

Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V

Legal name

Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V

Website

https://ikz-berlin.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung is a German non-profit research institute specializing in crystal growth technology for advanced semiconductor, photonic, and quantum materials, serving academic, industrial, and government partners through R&D services and specialty crystal supply.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Semiconductor Materials R&D

NAICS

Other Specialized Design Services (54149)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Wafer Services & Reclaim (Epitaxy, Thinning, Reclaim) (HDAHACAH)

Keywords

• Crystal growth technology
• Semiconductor substrate materials
• Wide-bandgap materials
• Isotopically enriched crystals
• Epitaxial thin films

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Government Core Funding: Core funding from the Leibniz Association, jointly funded by German Federal (Bund) and State (Länder) governments
2. Third-Party Research Funding: Project-based funding from DFG, BMBF, EU (ERC grants, Horizon 2020), EFRE, and other research funding bodies
3. Service & Technology Transfer: Revenue from specialized equipment services, crystal materials (AlN, Ga₂O₃), characterization services, and technology licensing

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IKZ is an international competence center for science, technology, and service & transfer in crystalline materials. It researches, develops, and produces specialty single crystals (AlN, Ga2O3, Si-28, Ge, laser crystals, perovskite substrates, SrTiO3) and provides crystal growth R&D services, epitaxial layers, materials characterization, and specialized equipment access for academic and industrial partners. The institute bridges fundamental crystal growth research with pre-industrial prototype development across four research departments.

Product overview

IKZ operates as an international competence center for science & technology as well as service & transfer in crystalline materials. The institute offers a portfolio of specialty crystal materials (AlN, Ga₂O₃, Si-28, Ge, laser crystals, perovskite substrates) combined with research and development services including crystal growth process development, materials characterization, and prototyping. The four main research departments (Volume Crystals, Nanostructures & Layers, Materials Science, Application Science) work alongside specialized sections (Semiconductors, Oxides & Fluorides, Semiconductor Nanostructures, Thin Oxide Films, Experimental Characterization, Fundamental Description, Crystals for Photonics, Crystals for Electronics) to provide a vertically integrated value chain from fundamental research through to pre-industrial development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aluminum Nitride (AlN) Materials High-purity aluminum nitride substrates and materials produced via sublimation growth for power electronics and deep UV photonics applications, including UVC LEDs and high-temperature sensors.
• Gallium Oxide (Ga2O3) Materials Beta-gallium oxide semiconductor crystals for next-generation power electronics, including vertical device architectures for high-efficiency power conversion. IKZ is Europe's only manufacturer of this material.
• Silicon-28 (28Si) Crystals Isotopically-enriched silicon-28 single crystals with enrichment up to 99.9995% grown via float-zone method for metrology applications including the international kilogram standard redefinition.
• Germanium (Ge) Crystals High-purity germanium crystals including hyper-pure Ge (HP-Ge) with impurity levels down to <10^10 cm^-3 for radiation detection applications, including isotopically enriched 76Ge for the LEGEND neutrinoless double beta decay experiment.
• Laser Materials and Crystals Specialty laser crystals including Er:Lu2O3 for mid-infrared lasers, Tb-doped crystals for visible green/yellow lasers, and Cr:LiCaAlF6 for diode-pumped chromium lasers, developed at the Center for Laser Materials.
• Strontium Titanate (SrTiO3) Crystals High structural quality SrTiO3 single crystals grown from melt for superconducting layers and electronic applications including memristors and non-volatile memories.
• Perovskite Substrates (Ba2ScNbO6) Novel double-perovskite substrate crystals enabling strain engineering of functional oxide layers with lattice parameters above 4.1 Å, developed jointly with Cornell University.
• Research & Development Services Crystal growth research services including process development, characterization, and prototyping for academic and industrial partners.
• Special Equipment Access Access to specialized crystal growth and characterization equipment including sublimation reactors, Czochralski systems, MOVPE, MBE, and electron microscopy facilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully produced silicon-28 crystals enabling redefinition of international kilogram standard
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cornell UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2018Joint research on perovskite substrate crystals (Ba2ScNbO6) enabling strain engineering; collaboration on La-doped BaSnO3 thin film growth on lattice-matched substrates; co-recipients of IOCG Frank Prize 2019
• Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKILOGRAM project collaboration for redefining the international kilogram standard using IKZ's silicon-28 crystals; PTB prepared precision spheres from IKZ crystals for Avogadro constant determination
• Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik (FBH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForMikro-GoNext project (2M€ BMBF funding) on vertical β-Ga₂O₃ device architectures; EQuiLa project on laser materials; joint diode-pumped laser development combining IKZ crystals with FBH laser diodes
• Leibniz-Institut für innovative Mikroelektronik (IHP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSiGeQuant project partner developing complementary growth and characterization techniques for Si/Ge quantum structures; joint effort for silicon quantum electronics
• RWTH Aachen University (IHT and IQI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSiGeQuant project partners for fabrication and characterization of quantum dot devices on wafer scale based on IKZ-grown Si/Ge structures; joint quantum technology development
• ABB Power Grids Switzerland Ltd.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial advisor for ForMikro-GoNext project on β-Ga₂O₃ transistor development; consulting on device design and testing
• AIXTRON SEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial advisor for ForMikro-GoNext project; consulting on epitaxy processes for Ga₂O₃
• University of Bremen (IALB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for power electronic characterization of new β-Ga₂O₃ devices; provides qualified assessment of application potential
• Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors using IKZ's potassium-sodium-niobate thin films; joint development of biomolecule sensors
• Max-Born-Institut für Nichtlineare Optik (MBI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint colloquium organization; collaboration on quantum materials research including InGaN quantum structure studies
• Paul-Drude-Institut für Festkörperelektronik (PDI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch consortium partner for InGaN quantum structure recombination studies combining optical and structural investigations
• Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung (MPIE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch consortium partner providing theoretical calculations for InGaN quantum structure studies
• Technical University Munich (TUM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for LEGEND project; receives IKZ's reduced 76Ge bars for further processing and detector fabrication
• LEGEND International CollaborationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational neutrinoless double beta decay experiment requiring ultra-pure germanium detector crystals; IKZ supplies isotopically enriched 76Ge materials
• Advanced UV for Life ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium for UV LED development using IKZ's AlN substrates; developing disinfection modules for medical technology
• ams OSRAMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpeaker at IKZ Fellowship 2026 symposium on optoelectronic device trends
• Technical University of BraunschweigcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIKZ Fellowship 2026 laureate Andreas Waag leads research on AlN for UV LEDs, AlGaN templates, and photonic devices
• Aalto UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpeaker at IKZ Fellowship 2026 on AlN-based device development
• University of BristolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpeaker at IKZ Fellowship 2026 on ultrawide bandgap electronics (Ga₂O₃, AlN, Diamond)
• DGKK (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kristallzüchtung und Kristallwachstum)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional society collaboration; DGKK seminars; young scientists awards; jointly created European Crystal Growth Map
• ENCG (European Network for Crystal Growth)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint collaboration on European Crystal Growth Map dashboard showing scientific and industrial crystalline materials activities across Europe
• Leibniz Strategy Forum 'Technological Sovereignty'coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport for interactive European crystal growth map project addressing supply chain reliability in crystal technology

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CEA-Leti: CEA-Leti is France's primary microelectronics and semiconductor materials research institute, operating epitaxy (MOVPE/MBE), advanced substrate characterization, and a wide-bandgap semiconductor program. It is the closest functional analog to IKZ in continental Europe, with overlapping competencies in Si/Ge epitaxy, wide-bandgap materials, and quantum device fabrication.
• IQE plc: IQE is the world's largest independent supplier of compound semiconductor wafers and epitaxial layers, serving wireless, photonics, and power-electronics markets. It is a direct commercial comparator to IKZ's epitaxy (MOVPE/MBE) services and compound semiconductor substrate offerings.
• Crystal IS (Asahi Kasei): Crystal IS, now part of Asahi Kasei, is a commercial manufacturer of aluminum nitride (AlN) substrates — a direct competitor to IKZ's AlN sublimation growth program for UVC LEDs and power electronics. The two organizations target the same end-markets with comparable material.
• Freiberger Compound Materials (FCM GmbH): Freiberger Compound Materials is a commercial supplier of GaAs and related compound semiconductor wafers, and is explicitly listed as an IKZ industry partner for AlN substrate processing. It is the most direct European commercial comparator for IKZ's substrate crystal production.

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft: Fraunhofer is Germany's largest applied research network and IKZ's institutional sibling within the German research landscape. While broader in scope, specific institutes (e.g., Fraunhofer IISB, IAF) overlap with IKZ on wide-bandgap semiconductor and crystal-materials research.
• IMEC: IMEC is a large Belgian semiconductor R&D center with deep programs in epitaxial growth, advanced substrate processing, and wide-bandgap device integration. It is a broader incumbent than IKZ — operating at pilot-line scale — but competes for similar European semiconductor-materials funding and industry collaborations.
• NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology): NIST operated the silicon-28 kilogram-of-silicon sphere program alongside IKZ/PTB and is the US counterpart to IKZ's metrology-grade crystal growth mission. It is a broad incumbent in measurement science with overlapping competencies in isotope-enriched crystal production.
• Sumitomo Electric Industries: Sumitomo Electric is a major Japanese industrial crystal grower with broad compound semiconductor and wide-bandgap material production. It represents the scaled Asian commercial counterpart that IKZ competes against on industrial substrate supply.
• Coherent Corp: Coherent (formerly II-VI) is a diversified semiconductor and photonics materials company with broad compound semiconductor substrate and crystal growth capabilities. It is a broad incumbent that competes with IKZ's specialty crystal portfolio across multiple device end-markets.

Others

• AIXTRON SE: AIXTRON is a leading manufacturer of MOCVD/MOVPE epitaxy equipment and is explicitly listed as an industrial advisor in IKZ's ForMikro-GoNext project. As an equipment supplier rather than materials competitor, it is an enabling peer rather than a rival.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V