Nanofab and microfluidics

Hard-to-make structures, since 2012.

Custom nanofabrication for research groups and companies: mother-machine molds, electron-beam lithography down to sub-10 nm, membranes, coatings and calibration standards. Small volumes and complex designs are what we do.

Send a drawing for a quote
SEM image of a regular array of square inverted pyramids for a chiral plasmonic metasurface.
SEM · inverted-pyramid array for a chiral plasmonic metasurface

Microfluidics and mother machines

Mother-machine molds and microfluidic chips

Custom molds based on the mother-machine concept, with sub-100 nm features and sub-100 nm overlay between layers. Channel dimensions accurate to under 30 nm, with several channel sizes on one mold. We supply ready-to-use devices, or molds to replicate thousands of devices in your own lab.

For nanofluidics, our FUEC system combines framed chips in glass, fused silica or glass–silicon, chip holders and a pressurising unit.

Used by groups at Uppsala, Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge and UC San Diego

  1. Feeding channel: fresh medium flows past the channel openings
  2. Growth channels in several sizes on one mold, dimensions accurate to under 30 nm
  3. Mother cell, held at the dead end

Mother machine · top view · not to scale

We endorse them. We designed & ordered multiplex mothermachine from them about a year ago. They delivered an excellent product. The price was reasonable, certainly far less than what it cost us back in 2008 at Harvard for the first mothermachine. We will use them again.

Suckjoon JunInventor of the mother machine, UC San Diego

Selected papers using our devices

  • 2025Tran et al., Nature Communications
  • 2017Jones et al., Science
  • 2016Kipper et al., ACS Synthetic Biology
  • 2014Hammar et al., Nature Genetics
Full list on Evidence

Electron-beam lithography

EBL at the resolution limit, and at wafer scale

Greyscale SEM image, tilted view, of bright spherical nanoparticles on a rough surface.
SEM · nanoparticles on a surface, tilted view

  • sub-10 nm

    Features, transferred into films by lift-off or dry etch

  • 6 nm

    Gaps in large-area gold films

  • 8-inch

    Wafers for large-area writing (up to)

Used for AR optics, metalenses, diffractive elements, HEMTs, plasmonic sensing, metamaterials and quantum devices.

Devices

Devices to your specification

Optical micrograph of two metal contact pads joined by thin leads through a chain of seven hexagonal islands.
Optical micrograph · contact pads and leads

  • Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors

    For near-infrared and visible light.

  • Organic field-effect transistors

    Sub-20 nm patterning, custom channel geometry, source/drain metallisation, vias for back-gating; bring your own semiconductor or choose with us.

  • Complex multilayer devices

    Many-layer stacks with tight process control.

  • TEM membranes

    Custom materials and dimensions.

…From product design to delivery, ConScience and Joachim have been great at keeping me updated with fabrication and shipment. As for the product itself, they are immaculate, reliable and durable.

Peter Gilhooly-FinnUniversity College London

OFET references

  • 2021Ye et al., Advanced Functional Materials
  • 2021Xu et al., Journal of Applied Physics
  • 2021Xu et al., Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Coatings

Coated wafers

CoatingSubstrateSizesThickness
Au (Cr adhesion), Cr, TiSi 100 or 1112", 3", 4", 6"2–100 nm
Si3N4Si 100 or 1112", 3", 4", 6"2–100 nm
SiO2 (thermal)Si 100 or 1112", 3", 4", 6"To specification
Custom multilayerSi, fused silica, III–V, glassOn requestOn request

Metals available for multilayers

Evaporated at 3×10⁻⁸ Torr base pressure. Shipped in wafer carriers or gel-pack; diced pieces on request.

  • Ti
  • Al
  • Cr
  • Au
  • Ge
  • Pd
  • Ni
  • Pt
  • Ag
  • Cu
  • V
  • Ta
  • Fe
  • Co

Calibration standards

AFM/KPFM calibration standard

Three work-function metals (Au, Pt, Cr) in a range of patterns and scan directions, validated with the Danish National Metrology Institute (DFM). Custom designs and packaging available.

Developed with support from Vinnova (2019-03545) and Eurostars (E!113474).

Short form

Case studies

The full stories are on the Evidence page.

SEM image, tilted view, of a regular array of square-topped nanopillars made for the VerCINI vertical bacteria-imaging method. Scale bar 1 µm.
SEM · VerCINI nanopillars for Newcastle University

Send us a drawing.

Small volumes and complex designs are what we do.

Send a drawing for a quote