Our mission is to help you understand how, where and why your device excels or fails — with non-destructive 2D/3D X-ray performance mapping.
Bringing Semiconductor Analytics from the Synchrotron to the Lab
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15 μm
Lab-source XBIC
Synchrotron
30 nm
e.g. P06 at PETRA III
A 20 EUR SiC diode can trigger a 20 million EUR recall. A 2% better PV cell yields millions in margins — and billions in market share. Without visibility into local electrical performance, semiconductor development is a guessing game.
Without our service
With our service
Our XBIC platform covers what no other lab-scale technique can — from sealed packages to operating conditions to full 3D performance maps.
X-rays penetrate the package. Measure electrical performance of sealed, encapsulated devices — without opening or destroying them.
Operando measurements with the device powered and active. Observe how real operating conditions affect local charge collection and performance.
Full volumetric 3D XBIC imaging. Locate defects and performance variations not just on surfaces but at depth — across the full device volume.
Correlate structural data (density, composition, lattice) directly with local electrical performance maps. Understand how and why a device works.
Our most unique technology is X-ray Beam Induced Current (XBIC). We use a focused X-ray beam to locally generate electron-hole pairs inside a semiconductor device. Ordinarily, these quickly re-combine. Only in the active charge-collection or depletion region of a diode, transistor or solar cell, an internal electric field is present that separates these pairs and allows conduction to the electric device contacts. The resulting induced current is measured synchronously as the beam scans across the sample.
The current map directly reflects the local charge collection efficiency from the perspective of the real device contacts. Any imperfections between junction and contact — be it due to material faults, contact quality, or packaging effects — show up in the measurement. This reveals where the device works well, where it is degraded, and precisely where defects reduce performance.
Because X-rays are highly penetrating, the measurement is fully non-destructive and works through packaging, encapsulants, and even under real operating conditions.
XBIC performance mapping combined with structural X-ray imaging forms our core offering, available today at lab scale. At synchrotron beamlines, we can already complement this with additional modalities — fluorescence, diffraction, and luminescence — to build a complete multi-modal picture of your device. We are actively working to bring these techniques to the lab as well.
| Measurement | Observable | Technique | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure Density | Density | X-ray absorption |
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2D 3D |
| Performance Local charge collection | Local charge collection | XBIC |
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2D 3D |
| Impurities & doping Atomic composition | Atomic composition | X-ray fluorescence |
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2D (3D) |
| Strain & temperature Lattice distortions | Lattice distortions | X-ray diffraction |
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2D |
| Carrier lifetime Band-gap recombinations | Band-gap recombinations | Luminescence |
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2D |
Structure + performance (XBIC) measurements are available today at our lab. All modalities are accessible at synchrotron beamlines. Lab-scale development for extended techniques is ongoing.
We intend to offer measurement services ranging from a one-off diagnostic session to a full failure investigation — working with you to design a workflow that answers your development questions.
Turn-key X-ray and laser measurements performed by our team. Available at our lab facility and, for specialised requirements, at synchrotron facilities. You define the sample and question — we deliver the data.
Raw data is only half the story. We process, reconstruct, and interpret results in the context of your device physics and development questions — delivering actionable conclusions, not just images.
When devices fail or underperform, we help identify exactly where, why, and how. Combining performance and structural measurements, we isolate electrically active defects and separate them from structural artefacts.
Ready to discuss your measurement challenge?
We work with each partner individually. Pricing and scope are defined based on your specific device and question.
We are now engaging with semiconductor developers across Europe to understand where X-ray performance diagnostics can best contribute to real-world workflows — be it yield optimization, failure analysis, or ground-truth data for AI-assisted design. Interested in participating? We'd love to hear from you.
Hamburg Scientific Instruments is now actively engaging with semiconductor manufacturers, power electronics developers, and photovoltaic producers to understand where X-ray performance diagnostics can best contribute to real-world development workflows.
The Perform3D validation project secures ~1.47 M€ to bring 3D semiconductor defect mapping from the synchrotron to lab-scale X-ray sources together with our partner Xnovo Technologies.
Read more →The X-ray beam induced current (XBIC) measurement technology developed at DESY has been granted patents in both Europe (EP 4 006 530 A1) and the United States (US 11,461,939), securing the intellectual foundation for commercial development.
Our work is grounded in peer-reviewed science. A full publications list is being assembled — check back soon.
Three scientists with over a decade of X-ray method development at DESY and synchrotrons around the world — now building a company to bring this capability to industry.
Scientist in Charge of X-ray Microscopy for Energy Materials
Over a decade of research in X-ray based semiconductor characterization at DESY and synchrotrons worldwide. Leads the scientific vision and technology development.
Scientist for X-ray Imaging and Tomography
Expert in X-ray tomography and computational imaging. Drives 3D reconstruction methods and data analysis for multi-modal semiconductor diagnostics.
Scientist for Semiconductor Performance Mapping
Specializes in synchrotron-based X-ray techniques and instrument development. Bridges fundamental science and commercially viable measurement solutions.
Institutional Affiliations & Partners
We are actively engaging with semiconductor developers to understand where X-ray performance diagnostics can best contribute. Whether you have a specific device failure, a yield question, or simply want to explore what's possible — reach out.
The form on the right uses Formspree to send a message to Robin Engel.
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