Ahope Micro & nano fabrication
Micro & nano fabrication services

Describe your chip. We design it and build the prototype.

Send us your requirements: a spec sheet, a sketch, a paper you want to reproduce. We turn them into a mask layout and a process flow, then fabricate and inspect the devices. Need just one step, like a thin film on your own substrates? We do that too.

Start a project See what we can run
Fig. 1 Pattern transfer
Photoresist, patterned
Metal film
Dielectric
Oxide
Substrate
Illustrative cross-section, not to scale.
Services

Two ways to work with us

Hand us the whole problem, or just the step you cannot run yourself.

Full service

Design-to-device prototyping

For teams with a device idea but no layout, no process flow, or no cleanroom access. You tell us what the chip has to do. We take it from there.

  • Requirements and feasibility review
  • Chip design and mask layout (GDS)
  • Process flow development
  • Fabrication in the cleanroom
  • Inspection and a measurement report
  • Dicing and packaging through our partner, if needed
Typical turnaround: within 4 weeks, depending on the process and the number of samples
Single process

Thin films and other one-step jobs

Already know exactly what you need? Send your substrates and a recipe, or tell us the film you want and we will recommend one.

  • Thin-film deposition: metals and oxides
  • Lithography and patterning
  • Etching
  • Annealing and surface treatment
  • Imaging and metrology
Typical turnaround: about one week
How it works

From request to chips in five steps

Nothing goes into the cleanroom until you have approved the design.

  1. 01

    Tell us what you need

    Send whatever you have: specs, a sketch, target materials, a reference paper.

  2. 02

    Feasibility and quote

    We review the request, flag the risks and send a quote with a timeline.

  3. 03

    Design review

    We draw the layout and the process flow, and you approve both before we start.

  4. 04

    Fabrication

    We run the process and update you after each major step.

  5. 05

    Delivery

    You receive the chips with inspection images and measurement data.

Capabilities

What we can run

Every in-house process is available on its own or as part of a full prototype run.

Process Methods Typical requests
Thin-film deposition Sputtering, e-beam and thermal evaporation, ALD, PECVD Metal contacts, dielectric layers, optical coatings, seed layers
Lithography Photolithography, direct-write, e-beam lithography Electrodes, microfluidic channels, sub-micron features
Etching Dry etching (RIE, ICP) and wet etching Pattern transfer, trenches, membrane and structure release
Thermal and surface Rapid thermal and furnace annealing, plasma cleaning Contact annealing, film crystallization, surface preparation
Imaging and metrology SEM, AFM, profilometry, ellipsometry, electrical test Film thickness, feature dimensions, device characterization
Dicing and packaging
Via partner facility, quoted per project
Wafer dicing, wire bonding, chip mounting Singulated dies, test-ready packaged devices
Substrates
Silicon and glass wafers, 2 to 6 inch
Square substrates also accepted
Minimum feature size
Photolithography: 1 µm
E-beam lithography: 20 nm
Available film materials
Metals: Au, Pt, Ag, Cu, Ti, Cr and others
Oxides: SiO₂, TiO₂, ITO, Al₂O₃ and others
Before you write to us

No layout?
A sketch is enough.

Most projects start without a finished design. The more of this list you can share, the faster we can quote, but none of it is required to start the conversation.

  • A sketch, drawing or reference paper showing the device
  • Target dimensions and the tolerances that matter
  • Materials or film stack, if you already know them
  • Substrate: yours, or one we source for you
  • How many chips you need, and by when
Request a quote

Tell us about your project

We reply within 24 hours. Once a project is contracted, we sign an NDA and an intellectual-property agreement with you.

Location
San Diego, CA