Special machinery and precision machining for the MEMS and microtechnology industry
idonus sàrl
Hauterive (Neuchâtel), Switzerland · Innoparc 1New on Amplifa
About idonus
idonus sàrl was founded in 2004 as a start-up of the Institute of Microengineering at the University of Neuchâtel (now IEM/EPFL) and specializes in the development and manufacture of special equipment for the MEMS and watch industry. The portfolio includes UV-LED exposure systems for photolithography including retrofit of mask aligners, HF vapor phase etchers (VPE) for silicon-based components, IR microscopes for wafer inspection, and since 2016 ion implantation services and special machinery for surface treatment. In addition, the company offers machining services (5-axis CNC milling, CNC turning, electrical discharge machining, surface grinding, polishing, soldering) for prototypes, individual parts and small series — including on brittle materials such as silicon, glass, quartz and ceramics. This is complemented by engineering services in mechanics, MEMS, non-imaging optics and machine vision, as well as measurement systems with telecentric illumination. The site at Innoparc 1 in Hauterive near Neuchâtel is located in the center of the Swiss Watch Valley; with vertical integration, the company enables rapid prototyping and short delivery times. Distribution partners serve customers worldwide, including in Asia, North America and Brazil.
- Site
- Hauterive / Neuchâtel
- Processes
- 5 axes CNC milling (5-axis milling), CNC turning (CNC turning), Electrical discharge machining (EDM, electrical discharge machining), Polishing (polishing), Conventional machining (conventional machining), Surface grinding (surface grinding), Soldering (soldering), Machining of brittle materials (silicon, glass, quartz, ceramic)
- Materials
- Aluminium, Non-ferrous metals (non-ferrous metals), Steel, Stainless steel (stainless steel), Polymers (Polymers / synthetics), Silicon, Glass, Borofloat® glass
- Founded
- 2004
- Industries
- MEMS / microfabrication industry, Semiconductor / microtechnology, Watch industry, Research institutions, Watch industry (Watch Valley), Semiconductor / microtechnology
- 01
Engineering and CAD design
- 02
Machining (5-axis CNC milling, CNC turning, EDM, grinding, polishing)
- 03
Soldering and manufacturing
- 04
Surface treatment (ion implantation, HF vapor phase etching)
- 05
Systems integration (machine vision, UV-LED)
- 06
Testing and wafer inspection
Materials and Processes
Aluminium and non-ferrous metals
Machining of prototypes and small series for microtechnology and special machinery.
Steel
Machining via CNC milling, turning, EDM and surface grinding.
Stainless steel
Precision components in corrosion-resistant material for laboratory and vacuum applications.
Polymers
Machining of plastics for custom components.
Silicon
Machining of brittle materials as well as HF vapor phase etching for MEMS release.
Glass and Borofloat®
Manufacture of, e.g., glass chucks for wafer handling.
Quartz and ceramics
Machining of demanding brittle materials for microtechnology.
Site
Hauterive (Neuchâtel)
CHHeadquarters: engineering, machining services, special machinery construction
- Lot size
- Prototype, individual parts, small series
- Materials
- Aluminium, steel, stainless steel, polymers, silicon, glass, quartz, ceramics
- 5-axis CNC milling machine
- CNC lathe
- Electrical discharge machine (EDM)
- Surface grinding machine
- HF Vapor Phase Etcher VPE100
- UV-LED Exposure System UV-EXP150R / UV-EXP300S
- IR microscope IR-M
- Ion implantation special machinery
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 axes CNC milling (5-axis milling)Machining | – | – | – | Prototyping / individual parts – small series | Aluminium and non-ferrous metals, Steel and stainless steel, Polymers, Silicon, Glass, Quartz, Ceramics |
| CNC turning (CNC turning)Machining | – | – | – | Prototyping / individual parts – small series | Aluminium and non-ferrous metals, Steel and stainless steel, Polymers, Silicon, Glass, Quartz, Ceramics |
| Electrical discharge machining (EDM, electrical discharge machining)Machining | – | – | – | – | Metals |
| Polishing (polishing)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Conventional machining (conventional machining)Machining | – | – | – | – | Aluminium and non-ferrous metals, Steel and stainless steel, Polymers |
| Surface grinding (surface grinding)Machining | – | – | – | – | Metals |
| Soldering (soldering)Joining | – | – | – | – | Metals |
| Machining of brittle materials (silicon, glass, quartz, ceramic)Machining | – | – | – | – | Silicon, Glass, Quartz, Ceramics |
| Ion implantation surface treatment (services)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| HF vapor phase etching (etching of silicon-based components, MEMS release)Surface | – | – | – | – | Silicon, SiO₂ (sacrificial layer) |
| UV-LED photolithography exposure (including retrofit of mask aligners)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| UV curing / UV treatmentSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Engineering services & prototyping / small series manufacturingEngineering | – | – | – | small series | – |
| Special machinery design & manufacturing (MEMS equipment, special machinery construction)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Machine vision & optical measurement solutions (telecentric optics)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Wafer inspection (IR microscope)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mechanical conception (CAD) and drawingsEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Automated gluing station (robot-based adhesive application with machine vision)Joining | – | – | – | – | – |
13 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-axis CNC milling machine | – | – | – | – | Hauterive / Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
| CNC lathe | – | – | – | – | Hauterive / Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
| Electrical discharge machine (EDM) | – | – | – | – | Hauterive / Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
| Surface grinding machine | – | – | – | – | Hauterive / Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
| HF Vapor Phase Etcher (VPE), own product (e.g. VPE100) | idonus VPE100 | – | – | – | Hauterive / Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
| UV-LED Exposure System (own product, e.g. UV-EXP150R / UV-EXP300S) | idonus UV-EXP150R | – | – | – | Hauterive / Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
| Ion implantation machines for surface treatment (special machinery) | idonus | – | – | – | Hauterive / Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
| IR microscope for wafer inspection (own product IR-M) | idonus IR-M | – | – | – | Hauterive / Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
| Retrofit: Mask Aligner (e.g. EVG® 620) with UV-EXP150R | EVG / idonus EVG 620 + UV-EXP150R | – | up to 4-inch / 3-inch wafers (examples) | – | Hauterive / Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
| Automated gluing station (gluing robot with machine vision) | – | – | – | – | Hauterive / Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
| Vacuum-compatible high-speed XY table (custom engineering) | idonus | – | – | – | Hauterive / Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
| Linear XY stage with large aperture for bottom side alignment (PLX photolithography equipment) | idonus PLX | – | – | – | Hauterive / Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
| Wafer Chuck for Uniform Electrodeposition (WEDC), 3-inch version | idonus WEDC | – | 3-inch wafer | – | Hauterive / Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
Additional services
Reference customers
History
- 2004
Founded as a start-up of the Institute of Microengineering at the University of Neuchâtel (IMT, now IEM/EPFL)
- 2014
idonus HF Vapor Phase Etcher cited in a scientific publication (J. Micromechanics and Microengineering)
- 2016
Introduction of ion implantation services and machines for surface treatment
- 2019
Participation in the open day at Innoparc 1, Hauterive
- 2021
Introduction of the second generation (Gen. 2) of the UV-LED exposure systems