Fabrication of micro- and nanostructures in a clean-room environment.
Image: Jan-Peter Kasper (University of Jena)Nanotechnologies and the characterization of nanostructures are enabling tools for research in photonics and beyond. The Friedrich Schiller University Jena is therefore providing access to state-of-the-art methods and instruments to its researchers and collaborators as well as to its industrial innovation partners. As part of the university’s collaboration strategy, the NANO-TeCh Core Facility is operated jointly with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOFExternal link and the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology IPHTExternal link.
The NANO-TeCh Core Facility comprises more than 1,500 m² of ISO Class 4–6 nanofabrication cleanroom space (equivalent to Class 10–1,000 cleanrooms) and 1.000 m² of high-end photonic laboratories. It includes a wide range of tools enabling rapid prototyping for fundamental research up to scalable wafer-level production.
Details on the available resources of the NANO-TeCh Core Facility are available via the OpenIRIS platformExternal link, which the University Jena operates jointly with its strategic partners of the JenaVersum networkExternal link.
The Quantum X Align is a configurable high-accuracy 3D printer based on Two-Photon Polymerization. It allows rapid prototyping and wafer-scale batch production of complex 2.5D and 3D shapes across various scales with submicron precision and accuracy. It covers multiple orders of magnitude – from nanometer-scale structures to centimeter-sized objects.
The Bruker Dimension Edge is a high-performance atomic force microscopy platform combining ultra-low noise operation with advanced open- and closed-loop scanning capabilities. The system supports a wide range of imaging, spectroscopy, and nanomechanical characterization modes, including contact and tapping mode AFM, force spectroscopy, nanoindentation, and nanolithography. Its large motorized stage enables automated multi-site measurements on samples up to 150 mm in diameter.
Wet Bench
Image: Jari DomkeThe wet bench is a versatile sample processing platform enabling wet chemical structuring, cleaning, and resist development for micro- and nanofabrication workflows. The system supports wet etching of Au, Cr, and Al, chemical and ultrasonic/megasonic cleaning using organic solvents and oxidizing chemistries, as well as the development of photoresists and electron-beam resists.
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The VWR Signature 810 Series Digital Hot Plate Stirrer 7×7 is designed for general laboratory heating applications requiring exceptional accuracy, stability, and repeatability. Featuring a low-profile design, the 810 Series Stirrer is easy to use while allowing users to digitally enter adjustments for optimal control.
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Particle contamination is detrimental to the quality and efficacy of nanofabrication processes e.g. lithography and bonding. Ultrasonic cleaning is a standard technique to to remove particle contaminants and optimally prepare samples for further processing.
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Nano-Technology samples can be sensitive to air; especially during fabrication. Prolonged exposure of sensitive samples to oxygen or water vapour in the air may deteriorate resist patterns or contaminate the sample surface. Storage of these samples under nitrogen atmosphere allows us to elliminate these risk factors.
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The resist coating platform is a versatile sample preparation system for the deposition and thermal processing of photoresists and electron-beam resists. Equipped with spin coaters for substrates ranging from chip-scale samples to wafers and mask blanks up to 300 mm, as well as programmable hotplates with temperature ramping up to 200 °C, the system enables reproducible resist coating and processing for lithographic workflows.
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The POLOS Spin150i is a versatile spin coating system designed for the deposition of uniform thin films on wafers and planar substrates. The instrument accommodates substrates up to 6-inch wafers or 4 × 4 inch samples and offers programmable speed and acceleration profiles with rotation speeds up to 12,000 rpm, enabling precise process control for research and prototyping applications.
Raith E-LINE Plus
Image: Malte KastenAt the same time, the electron beam lithography system E-LINE Plus from RAITH GmbH allows researchers to fabricate high-precision prototype nanostructures with feature sizes down to 7 nm on small scale on substrates up to 100 mm in diameter.
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With the electron beam lithography system SB3050-2 OS from Vistec Electron Beam GmbH Jena researchers have access to unique wafer scale lithography tool with a focus on exposure speed and metrologic precision. It enables scalable fabrication of nanostructures with feature sizes down to 25 nm on substrates up to 300x275 mm and a placement accuracy in the range of 10 nm.
The device is operated by a dedicated crew and embedded in a complete process chain including materials development, design, pattern transfer, optical characterization, and systems integration. All processes are quality controlled to industry standard and adhere to ISO9001 standards. Access is mediated by the operating teams at Fraunhofer IOF and FSU’s Microstructure Technology Group on a per-project basis and in accordance with the regulations of the device owners.
Zeiss NEON 60
Image: Simon HillmannThe Zeiss NEON 60 is a dual-beam focused ion beam and scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) platform combining high-resolution electron imaging with precise gallium ion beam milling and cross-sectioning. Equipped with advanced analytical capabilities, including EDX, the system enables structural, compositional, and site-specific nanoscale characterization of materials and devices.
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The Hitachi S-4800 SEM is a versatile electron microcopy platform comprising high resolution performance and advanced detection technology, as compositional SE and BSE electron signals.
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The JEOL JSM-IT800i is a high-performance Schottky field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) combining sub-nanometer resolution with flexible low-voltage imaging capabilities. Equipped with beam deceleration technology and a large specimen chamber accommodating samples up to 150 mm in diameter, it enables high-resolution surface characterization across a wide range of materials and applications.
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The FEI Helios NanoLab (now Thermo Scientific) integrates a Ga-ion Focused Ion Beam (FIB) with a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) in a dual beam device, offering versatility and excellent precision for a broad range of applications. It supports sub-nanometer SEM and STEM imaging alongside ultra-thin, site-specific TEM lamella preparation. Designed for advanced research in materials science and nanotechnologies, it enables 2D and 3D materials characterization, sample preparation, nanoscale prototyping, and advanced device development with maximum flexibility and precision.
Oxford Instruments PlasmaPro 100 Cobra
Image: Stefan BörnerThe PlasmaPro 100 Cobra ICP RIE system utilizes a high-density inductively coupled plasma to achieve fast etch rates. The process modules offer good uniformity, high-throughput, high-precision and low-damage processes wafer sizes up to 100 mm.
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The Sentech SI-500 C Cryo-ICP is an advanced inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching platform enabling high-precision dry etching of a broad range of semiconductor, dielectric, metallic, and functional materials. Equipped with cryogenic cooling down to –100 °C, He backside cooling, and Bosch process capability, the system supports highly anisotropic and process-tailored etching for wafers up to 8 inches and mask substrates up to 6 inches.
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The Sentech SI-591 RIE is a versatile plasma etching platform enabling reactive ion etching (RIE) for the controlled structuring and surface modification of a range of semiconductor, metallic, and functional materials, including Si, Ge, Cr, diamond, and Mo. Supporting substrates up to 8-inch wafers or 6-inch masks, the system enables precise dry etching for micro- and nanofabrication applications.
Vacuum Furnace
Image: Stefan BörnerThe vacuum furnace is a versatile thermal processing platform for annealing, heat treatment, and material conditioning under controlled atmospheric conditions. Supporting temperatures up to 900 °C and operation under vacuum as well as O₂, N₂, and Ar atmospheres, the system enables flexible thermal processing of a wide range of materials and devices.
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The Allwin21 AccuThermo AW610M is a rapid thermal annealing platform enabling fast and precisely controlled thermal processing of flat samples and wafers. Supporting temperatures from 100 to 1200 °C with rapid heating rates of up to 1200 °C in 15 seconds, the system enables reproducible annealing and thermal treatment for substrates up to 150 mm in diameter. Temperature monitoring is achieved via thermocouple and pyrometer measurements, enabling controlled multi-step thermal processes with programmable time profiles.
4GABIS MZG 102 IAP
Image: Stefan BörnerThe 4GABIS MZG 102 IAP is a broad beam ion source platform designed for large-area ion beam processing and surface modification of flat substrates. Featuring a homogeneous ion beam with a diameter of up to 150 mm, the system enables controlled ion-assisted surface treatment, cleaning, and etching processes for micro- and nanofabrication applications. Broad beam ion sources are particularly suited for uniform large-area processing and reactive ion beam surface engineering.
Microlight3D Smart Print UV
Image: Simon HillmannThe Smart Print UV is a maskless lithography equipment, based on a DMD projection technology, compatible with a wide range of photoresists and substrates. This machine can produce any 2D shapes at micron resolution without the need for a hard mask. It's designed for application fields requiring surface micro patterning such as microfluidics and microelectronics.
Zeiss Stemi 508
Image: Pulch + LorenzThe Zeiss Stemi 508 is a stereoscopic Greenough microscope, which provides the user with depth information while working on 3-dimensional samples. The long working distance and continuously adjustable zoom makes this system ideal for sample preparation and precise sample manipulations.
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The Zeiss Axio Imager M2m is a versatile upright microscopy platform for automated structure and material analysis. Combining brightfield, darkfield, polarization, and phase-contrast imaging modes, the system enables detailed optical characterization of materials, surfaces, and microstructured samples across a wide range of research applications.
Oxford OpAL Atomic Layer Deposition
Image: NANO-TeCh Core FacilityThe Oxford OpAL is an advanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) platform enabling thermal and plasma-enhanced thin film growth with precise thickness and conformality control. Supporting materials including Al₂O₃, TiO₂, and SiO₂, the system allows the deposition of high-quality functional coatings on substrates up to 6-inch mask blanks with layer thicknesses up to 200 nm.
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The EM ACE600 is a high vacuum coating system for a wide range of applications. It is equipped with a configurable metal process chamber and can be adapted to a wide range of applications. It prepares fine grained thin films for electron microscopy analysis of non-conducting samples.
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The FC/BJD-2000 is a cleanroom-compatible electron-beam evaporation system designed for research and thin-film deposition applications. The system provides fully integrated, recipe-driven process control through the Temescal Control System (TCS) and supports automated vacuum and deposition processes. The TemEBeam controller enables control of beam sweep, source operation, and deposition parameters. The system is suitable for deposition of metallic and dielectric thin films for applications in photonics, microelectronics, nanotechnology, and materials research.
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The Oxford IonFab300 is a versatile ion beam processing platform enabling reactive ion beam deposition and etching for the fabrication and modification of thin films and nanostructures. The system supports the deposition of metallic, oxide, and nitride materials, including Cr, Si, Al, Ti, Ta, Mo, Nb, and Hf-based compounds, and provides ion beam and remote reactive ion etching capabilities using Ar and O₂. Equipped with sample rotation and tilt, it enables controlled processing of wafers up to 300 mm and structured samples up to 20 mm in height.
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The V700 Physical Vapor Deposition system is a versatile thin film deposition platform combining thermal and electron-beam evaporation for the fabrication of metallic and oxide coatings. Supporting a broad range of materials, including Ag, Al, Au, Cr, Cu, Ti, W, and their respective oxides, the system enables flexible process development for micro- and nanofabrication applications. Adjustable sample rotation and tilt provide enhanced control over film uniformity and deposition conditions.
Close-up view of a wafer featuring lithium niobate photonic circuits
Image: Jens Meyer (University of Jena)The Suss MicroTec SB6 Gen2 wafer bonder is a substrate bonder that’s equipped to handle a wide range of substrate bonding processes. The bonder accommodates standard size, semi spec wafers up to 150 mm in diameter and various shapes, and types of materials.
The Disco DAD350 is a precision automatic dicing platform for the separation of wafers and mask blanks into individual chips and structures. Equipped with precision alignment, autofocus, and kerf inspection capabilities, the system enables accurate and reproducible cutting of semiconductor and brittle materials, including Si, SiO₂, sapphire, and technical ceramics, for samples up to 8 inches in diameter.
Delmic Sparc Spectral Cathodoluminescence System
Image: Simon HillmannThe DELMIC SPARC Spectral is an advanced SEM-integrated cathodoluminescence spectroscopy platform combining hyperspectral, angle-resolved, and polarization-resolved optical characterization with SNSPD-based single-photon detection for nanoscale photonics research. Featuring high-efficiency light collection and broad UV–VIS–NIR spectral coverage, the system enables spatially resolved cathodoluminescence mapping, energy–momentum spectroscopy, and ultra-sensitive photon counting to correlate structural and optical properties at the nanoscale.
Bruker White Light Interferometer Contour GT K
Image: Simon HillmannThe Bruker white light interferometer is used for non-contact measurement of the topography of workpieces with high spatial depth resolution. In contrast to ‘normal’ interferometers, which work with light of long coherence length (e.g. laser), surfaces with steps or even rough surfaces can be measured.
Wide Field Fluorescence Microscope
Image: NANO-TeCh Core FacilityExcelitas X-Cite Xylis II Broad spectrum LED source (360-770 nm) is added along with 2 Raman filter sets to enable wide field fluorescence imaging of samples in this microscope at excitation wavelengths of 530 nm and 360 nm. Upright microscope system alone enables automated structure and material analysis with brightfield, darkfield, polarization and phase contrast operation modes.
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Upright microscope system for automated structure and material analysis with brightfield, darkfield, polarization and phase contrast operation modes. The system is ideal for the rapid investigation of opaque and transparent samples with a maximum thickness of 63mm. The motorized stage allows for large scale reproducible imaging.
PicoQuant Time-Resolved Fluorescence Microscope
Image: PicoQuantMicroscope system for confocal fluorescence imaging combined with highly sensitive time-resolved detection capabilities, with excitation unit, inverted microscope body and highly customizable optical unit from deep UV to NIR. It supports a wide range of experiments in life science, materials science, and quantum optics, from dynamic cellular studies to photoluminescence investigations of semiconductors and quantum emitters.
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The Single Quantum Eos 1620 CS is a multi-channel time-correlated single-photon detection platform enabling high-sensitivity photon counting and correlation measurements across the near-infrared spectral range. Comprising 20 single-photon detection channels distributed across two systems (16 and 4 channels) and coupled via single-mode optical fibers, the system supports multi-channel photon correlation experiments from 700 to 2000 nm with dedicated correlation electronics for time-resolved measurements.
JPK Nanowizard NanoOptics
Image: BrukerThis versatile nanoscopy system enables optical (intensity, fluorescence, and raman), electrical (current, voltage, and surface potential), and mechanical (adhesivity, stiffness, force spectroscopy, and height) measurements at the nanoscale, utilising a variety of atomic force microscopy (AFM) methods, as well as optical and spectroscopic methods. The nanoscopic properties of transparent samples can be studied using sharp AFM tips measuring approximately 20 nm by scanning the tip over the sample in tip or sample scanning mode. Thanks to the quantitative imaging mode and adaptable tip mounting platform, samples ranging from hard to extremely soft, as well as samples in water, can be studied.
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The NeaSNOM is designed to provide complete field mapping with a spatial resolution of around 20 nm for both opaque and transparent samples. It enables visible-infrared (VIS-IR) nanoimaging, point spectroscopy and hyperspectral analysis with continuous-wave (CW) illumination sources. An upgrade to the AFM scanner head now allows electrical and mechanical nanoimaging.
Bruker FT-IR Spectrometer Vertex
Image: Simon HillmannBruker Vertex 80v FT-IR spectrometer is a high-end bench-top Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectrometer. The instrument is equipped with multiple beamsplitters (automatic exchanger) to cover a broad spectral range from the near infrared to the far infrared. The instrument can be used under a nitrogen atmosphere (direct supply, no gas bottles required) and in the evacuated state. A selection of detectors isavailable, such as a broadband DLaTGS detector, MCT detectors (mid infrared), and a liquid helium (4.2 K) cooled Si-bolometer (far infrared/THz). Depending on the measurement, the light source can be switched between a Globar or a Hg–arc lamp. Two multi-purpose external sample chambers are attached, offering high flexibility in experimental design which is especially useful for experiments that require additional space.
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The Lambda 950 UV/Vis/NIR is a double beam, double monochromator, all-reflecting optical system which operates in the ultraviolet (UV), visible (vis) and near infra-red (NIR) spectral range. Deuterium and tungsten Halogen light sources. Automatic source change occurs during monochromator slewing; and, programmed optical filters also perform automatic filter change.