Zeiss Invests in Nanoscribe

Oberkochen-based optical company Carl Zeiss announced it has acquired a 40 percent stake in startup Nanoscribe GmbH, a developer of laser direct-write tools for 3-D nanostructuring. Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Nanoscribe, based in Karlsruhe, Germany, was formed in December 2007 from the work group of Dr. Martin Wegener at the Institute for Applied Physics at the University of Karlsruhe and the Karlsruhe Research Center.

“Carl Zeiss is going down a new road by supporting the young researchers and entrepreneurs at an early stage in the founding of the company not only financially, but also with our knowledge and corresponding technology,” said Dr. Michael Kaschke, a member of the Carl Zeiss executive board. At the same time, this ensures the company’s involvement in a pioneering technology.

Nanoscribe develops and produces compact rapid prototyping laser lithography systems for the manufacture of 3-D micro- and nanostructures in photoresist. The emerging technology of 3-D laser lithography has applications in micro- and nanophotonics, the life sciences, biotechnology and in microfluidics.

"Nanoscribe has the potential to open up new fields of application in optical technologies. The partnership with Carl Zeiss is a milestone along the way," said Martin Hermatschweiler, one of the founders and executive directors of the startup.

Carl Zeiss has worked with the company since 2007, delivering its first system at the end of June. Professor Martin Wegener, one of the founders and scientific consultants of the startup, received the 2006 Carl Zeiss Research Award.

For more information, visit: www.nanoscribe.de or www.zeiss.com