Measurement systems and measurement services for thermal characterization and reliability of electronics
Berliner Nanotest und Design GmbH
BerlinNew on Amplifa
About Nanotest
Nanotest is a technology company founded in 2004 and based in Berlin, owner-managed and specialized in thermal material and system characterization. The portfolio includes proprietary measurement systems such as the Thermal Interface Material Analyzer TIMA 5/6 (ASTM D5470-17), the in-plane thermal conductivity measurement system LaTIMA, the electrical characterization system ELCA, the 3-Omega system TOCS for liquids and viscous materials, and the AMB Fracture Test System for interface fracture toughness. In addition, Nanotest develops and manufactures customized Thermal Test Vehicles (TTV), such as the TTV 200 with up to 7400 W thermal load, 18 expandable heating zones and 112 on-die RTDs. Services include material and system characterization, thermography-based failure analysis, aging and reliability studies, as well as thermal consulting. Customers are companies in the semiconductor and electronics industry as well as academic partners worldwide. The company employs around 50 staff at its Berlin-Johannisthal site on more than 1,300 m² of laboratory, production and office space.
- Site
- Berlin
- Processes
- Thermal Interface Material (TIM) characterization according to ASTM D5470-17 (TIMA 5/6), TIM Reliability Testing (10–200 °C, up to 900 N continuous / 1000 N short-term, TTV10 testing for, TIM aging studies (pump-out, dry-out, delamination, in-situ monitoring), In-plane thermal conductivity and diffusivity (LaTIMA), Thermal characterization of liquids and viscous materials (TOCS, 3-Omega method), System characterization – evaluation of thermal management in electronics (assemblies and systems), Failure analysis (non-destructive failure analysis, thermography-based), Custom Thermal Test Vehicles (TTV) – design and manufacturing, wafer- and substrate-based
- Materials
- Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs), Silicone-based pastes, Gap fillers, Adhesives, Molding compound, Underfill, Epoxy resin, Metals
- Certificates
- ISO 9001:2015, ISO 9001
- Founded
- 2004
- Employees
- ca. 50
- Industries
- Semiconductor/electronics industry, Electronics manufacturing and reliability, Research institutions and academic partners, Research institutions/academic partners
- 01
Consulting and test strategy
- 02
Custom TTV design and manufacturing
- 03
Material characterization (thermal, electrical)
- 04
System characterization and reliability testing
- 05
Failure analysis
- 06
Evaluation and reporting
Materials and Material Classes
Thermal Interface Materials
Central material class for characterization according to ASTM D5470, including pastes, pads and gap fillers.
Silicone-based pastes
Silicone-based thermal conductive pastes are characterized with regard to conductivity and interface resistance.
Gap Fillers, Adhesives, Molding Compound, Underfill
Polymer materials processed in electronics manufacturing are measured using adapted sample preparation.
Metals, alloys and solders
Highly conductive materials are tested in-plane for thermal conductivity and diffusivity with LaTIMA.
Sinter materials
Sintered joints are thermally characterized in-plane.
Ceramics
Ceramic materials are characterized thermally and electrically (ELCA).
Coolants and viscous materials
Liquids, pastes and adhesives are measured with TOCS using the 3-Omega method.
Locations
Berlin
DEHeadquarters with laboratory, production and office
- Materials
- TIMs, metals, ceramics, solders, sinter materials, liquids
- TIMA 6 (ASTM D5470-17, samples up to 38.1 mm, 10–200 °C, 900/1000 N)
- TIMA 5 (compression up to 3.4 MPa)
- TTV 200 (up to 7400 W, 18 heating zones)
- AMB Fracture Test System
- ELCA
- LaTIMA
- TOCS (3-Omega)
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal Interface Material (TIM) characterization according to ASTM D5470-17 (TIMA 5/6)Testing | – | 38.1 mm | – | – | Thermal Interface Materials, Silicone-based pastes, Pads, Curing Gap Filler, Adhesives, Molding Compound, Underfill |
| TIM Reliability Testing (10–200 °C, up to 900 N continuous / 1000 N short-term, TTV10 testing forTesting | Precision ±3% | – | – | – | TIM1, Thermal Interface Materials |
| TIM aging studies (pump-out, dry-out, delamination, in-situ monitoring)Testing | – | – | – | – | Thermal Interface Materials, pastes, pads |
| In-plane thermal conductivity and diffusivity (LaTIMA)Testing | – | – | – | – | metals, ceramics, solders, sinter materials |
| Thermal characterization of liquids and viscous materials (TOCS, 3-Omega method)Testing | – | – | – | – | coolants, liquids, pastes, adhesives, epoxy resins |
| System characterization – evaluation of thermal management in electronics (assemblies and systems)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Failure analysis (non-destructive failure analysis, thermography-based)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Custom Thermal Test Vehicles (TTV) – design and manufacturing, wafer- and substrate-basedEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| TTV 200 – Thermal Test Vehicle with up to 7400 W GPU-class thermal load, up to 18Testing | – | 52.5 mm × 50 mm | – | – | – |
| AMB Fracture Test System – mixed-mode bending for interface fracture toughness (G–ψ) onTesting | – | – | – | – | bi-material interfaces, bonded layers |
| ELCA – in-plane electrical characterization (electrical conductivity over a wideTesting | – | – | – | – | metals, alloys, ceramics, functional materials |
| Thermal consulting (test strategy, material benchmarking, package performance testing, qualityEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
7 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal Interface Material Analyzer (ASTM D5470-17) | Nanotest TIMA 6 | – | Samples up to 38.1 mm, 10–200 °C, 900 N continuous / 1000 N short-term, resolution 0.4 mm²K/W, | – | Berlin |
| Thermal Interface Material Analyzer | Nanotest TIMA 5 | – | Sample compression up to 3.4 MPa (500 PSI), thickness resolution in the 1 µm range | – | Berlin |
| Thermal Test Vehicle | Nanotest TTV 200 | – | 52.5 × 50 mm multi-die chiplet architecture, up to 7400 W thermal load, up to 18 (expandable to | – | Berlin |
| AMB Fracture Test System (Mixed-Mode Bending) | Nanotest AMB Fracture Test System | – | Two independent actuators for mode-mixity variation | – | Berlin |
| In-Plane Electrical Characterization Analyzer | Nanotest ELCA | – | – | – | Berlin |
| In-Plane Thermal Conductivity Analyzer | Nanotest LaTIMA | – | – | – | Berlin |
| 3-Omega measurement system for liquids and viscous materials | Nanotest TOCS | – | – | – | Berlin |
Additional services
Quality
The quality management system is certified according to ISO 9001:2015 (DQS GmbH, certificate 31630599 QM15, valid until 2028-10-26) and covers the design, development, manufacturing and distribution of the measurement systems as well as the characterization and failure analysis services.
| Evidence | Berlin |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 |
History
- 2004
Founded by a group of scientists and engineers at the Fraunhofer Micro Materials Center in Berlin-Wedding; focus on thermal material characterization and the first version of the TIMA measurement system.
- 2005
Increasing participation in research projects; establishment of further measurement methods and expertise in thermography-based failure analysis.
- 2009
Registered under HRB 91964, Berlin Local Court; move to the current headquarters in Berlin-Johannisthal with more than 1,300 m² of laboratory and office space.
- 2025
Co-founding of the ISA – International Semiconductor Alliance (with TRESKY Automation, budatec, Bond Pulse) and member of the joint lab berlin for Thermal Management (TU Chemnitz, BTU Cottbus, Fraunhofer ENAS); market launch of TIMA 6, TTV 200 and AMB Fracture Test System.