Raith Nanofabrication – About us
Raith is a leading precision technology manufacturer for nanofabrication, electron beam lithography, FIB SEM nanofabrication, laser lithography, nanoengineering, and reverse engineering applications.
Customers include universities and other organizations involved in various fields of nanotechnology research and materials science – as well as industrial and medium-sized enterprises that use nanotechnology for specific product applications or produce compound semiconductors.
Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Dortmund, Germany, Raith employs more than 350 people. The company works as closely as possible with customers in the most important global markets through subsidiaries in the Netherlands, the USA, and Asia and through an extensive partner and service network.
Our solutions
What makes Raith unique is the range of its nanofabrication products and services, covering high-end systems for productive and industrial applications right through to highly flexible solutions for budget-conscious academic research. Raith’s broad nanofabrication portfolio offers the ideal solution for all your nanofabrication challenges.
Our values
Raith employees and management are committed to provide their clients with innovative product solutions as part of a lifelong partnership. To achieve this, we are committed to our defined values:
Cooperative
We work together with our customers, colleagues, and suppliers to always find the best solution.
Trustful
We trust each other and always treat our customers’ data and projects with the required respect and confidentiality.
Reliable
We stand by our word. Our customers, employees, and suppliers can all count on us, no matter what.
Competent
We strive for continuous improvement by making ongoing investments in the qualifications, training, and skills of our employees.
Innovative
We enable our customers to be at the forefront in their field of expertise, and achieve this by our commitment to consistently developing and producing cutting-edge solutions.
Customer-oriented
We always put the customer first. A lifelong partnership with our customers can only be achieved by keeping our customers’ needs in mind with every decision we make.
Our history
Foundation of Raith
Raith was founded in Dortmund, Germany, in 1980. In the first decade of its existence the focus was on special ancillary developments for scanning electron microscopes. Specifically these were heating and cooling stages, probe modules for IC inspections, motor controls and SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) stages with an extra-large adjustment range. This product area was soon to become the core expertise of the company.
Foundation of Raith USA Inc.
Raith USA Inc. was founded in the state of New York to serve the steadily increasing US marketing a more effective way.
First ELPHY
In 1988 Raith launched the first ELPHY hardware/software system onto the market; an “electronic pencil” that could complement the imaging functionality of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with a writing component. ELPHY rapidly positioned itself as an alternative to the vector-scan addressing devices which were used for writing on the smallest possible surfaces at the time – but which were also very expensive to buy, so many universities simply could not afford these systems.
First laser interferometer stage
At the beginning of the 1990s Raith focused some of its development resources on new kinds of SEM stages that could be adjusted far more precisely for writing on the smallest structures on larger surfaces with the highest precision. The result was the Laser Interferometer Controlled Sample Stage that enabled Raith to close a gap in the market and generate a correspondingly high demand for existing SEM installations.
New location for Raith
Raith moved into new facilities with application lab, production area, offices and lecture rooms for training courses and other events.
Launch of first turnkey solution
1995 saw the launch of the first Raith turnkey solutions on the market which, in the years that followed, made the company highly successful with some of the leading players in the chip/semiconductor industry, such as IBM and Infineon.
eLINE product launch
Product launch of versatile eLINE, an ultra high resolution electron beam lithography and nanoengineering workstation for turnkey operation.
Introduction of ionLINE
Introduction of ionLINE, a novel focused ion beam instrument class for research and development.
Launch of RAITH150 Two
Based on the success of the RAITH150, RAITH150 Two was launched with better specifications and environment tolerant instrument cover.
New head office in Dortmund
Due to the last year’s growth, Raith moved to its new head office in Dortmund, featuring more space for production and attractive demonstration facilities.
Introduction of PIONEER
Raith introduces the PIONEER to the market. PIONEER is a new compact electron beam lithography system based on thermal field emission (TFE) technology and is the first true EBL/SEM hybrid available.
New ELPHY MultiBeam
The new ELPHY MultiBeam enhances the successful ELPHY attachment series. With its dedicated hard- and software enhancements the new attachment enables maximum nano patterning performance from FIB-SEM instruments.
Market introduction of new eLINE Plus
Raith markets the new eLINE Plus, a consequent evolution of the popular eLINE with additional process techniques, functionality and improved specifications. It is the only professional EBL system which ideally combines the “classical workhorse” EBL with capabilities of a multi-application tool.
VOYAGER Launch
Raith installs its new VOYAGER with new Raith eWrite technology at York University. With its innovative architecture and specifications, it has been designed for one purpose: accurate results, delivered at high speeds and reasonable costs.
Raith and Vistec joined forces
One of the most important milestone was the integration of VISTEC Gaussian Beam Lithography in the Raith Group in early 2013. Just like Raith, VISTEC represents the culmination of many decades of experience in electron beam lithography. The VISTEC solutions extend the Raith range with the ultra- high performance Electron Beam Lithography systems in the world. This means that Raith can now offer the entire bandwidth of supplementary and integrated systems for nanolithography, nanofabrication and nanoengineering.
Raith Nanofabrication
After the integration of VISTEC, Raith presents its new corporate design at the 40th MNE conference. The new unified brand represents the broadest bandwidth of solutions for nanofabrication, now in a single streamlined design. At the same time Raith also launches its new website at www.raith.com unveils new corporate design
Market introduction of PIONEER Two
Raith introduces the new PIONEER Two to the market, complementing its portfolio of multi-technique electron beam lithography tools based on thermal field emission (TFE) technology. As an evolution of the former PIONEER, it combines ultra-high-resolution electron beam lithography with scanning electron microscope imaging in a single tool.
Launch of the EBPG5150
We proudly presented a new system within our portfolio: the EBPG5150. It replaces the EBPG5000 while retaining all the automation and flexibility of the 5000 series.
New joint venture: Raith China
To better serve customers in China and meet the needs of this fast-growing market, Raith and its long-standing partners German Tech Co. Ltd. found the joint venture Raith China Co. Ltd.
Market introduction of FIB-SEM VELION
In early 2018, Raith presented VELION, the new FIB-SEM for FIB-centric nanofabrication. With its unique set-up of a vertical FIB-column it allows for versatile use in four different operation modes. It is designed to meet the most demanding requirements in both R&D nano prototyping and sample preparation and microscopy.
New Demo Lab opening in Best
The new lab offers our customers a closer look and perfect testing environment on the Raith EBPG5200 for running exposures and the Raith eLINE for SEM imaging and metrology of results. Also, the lab is equipped with two optical alignment stations with different possibilities for setting up exposure jobs and a wetbench for spin coating and developing of resist on wafers up to 8 inch.
Launch of the EBPG Plus
Many small-scale adjustments have resulted in a significantly enhanced product: The EBPG Plus which was launched in June 2021. The latest generation of the highly successful EBPG series and now faster, more precise, and more stable than ever before.
Raith acquires 4PICO Litho
Raith is expanding its product offering by adding direct write laser lithography systems manufactured by 4PICO Litho to its business strategy. With the acquisition key advantages are expected from the connectivity between Electron Beam (EBL) and Laser Beam Lithography (LBL).
Raith joins MIT.nano Consortium
In July 2021 MIT.nano has announced Raith joined the MIT.nano Consortium as the twelfth founding member. In MIT.nano’s quarterly industry consortium meetings, Raith will provide advice alongside 11 other companies to help guide and advance nanoscale innovations at MIT.
Change in Top Management
After more than 32 years with RAITH, including over 25 years of management responsibility, Dr. Ralf Jede steped back from his positions as CEO and Managing Director of RAITH and retired on March 1, 2023. On the same date, after months of successful cooperation with Dr. Jede, Dr. Michael Steigerwald took over responsibility for the RAITH Group as sole CEO and Managing Director.
