Nearfield Instruments

Nearfield Instruments is a semiconductor metrology company founded in 2016 as a spin-off of TNO. The firm specialises in developing atomic force microscopy (AFM) systems designed to deliver atom-scale resolution 3D measurements at the throughput levels required by the semiconductor manufacturing industry. Its work sits at the intersection of high-throughput scanning probe microscopy and advanced chip fabrication processes.

The company's primary products are the QUADRA and AUDIRA AFM systems. Both are engineered for semiconductor metrology applications, aiming to provide the precision of atomic force microscopy with the speed necessary for production-line environments. This addresses a critical need in microelectronics, where chip manufacturers require increasingly detailed characterisation of structures at the nanoscale.

Following a five-year development journey from its founding, Nearfield Instruments has positioned itself within the semiconductor manufacturing and microelectronics verticals. The company's technical focus areas include atomic force microscopy, semiconductor metrology, and 3D metrology.