Desktop masklesslithography.

The NANYTE BEAM is a desktop (benchtop) maskless lithography system — a UV direct-write tool that patterns wafers and substrates directly from a digital layout, with no photomask. It reaches sub-0.4 µm resolution across a full 8-inch (200 mm) wafer, in a footprint that sits on a lab bench.

How maskless lithography works →

BEAM reaches a minimum feature size of 0.4 µm and a guaranteed 0.5 µm pitch, held edge to edge across a full 8-inch (200 mm) wafer — with 0.5 µm through-the-lens overlay and 0.1 µm bidirectional stage repeatability. To help you reach optimal linewidths, NANYTE also supplies process guidelines for common photoresists.

Browse the photoresist recipe library →

BEAM's Advanced engine exposes in 16-bit grayscale — 65,536 dose levels — so it can write smooth 3D and variable-depth structures such as micro-optics, blazed gratings, microlens arrays, and grayscale reliefs in a single exposure, rather than stacking binary layers.

BEAM's Advanced optics engine is optimized for 405 nm (h-line), with 365 nm (i-line) software-selectable. 405 nm gives the best transmission through the optics and works with most thin positive photoresists — for example Microposit S1805, AZ 5214E, and AZ ECI 3007. 365 nm covers i-line-sensitive resists that respond weakly or not at all at 405 nm, such as AZ nLOF lift-off resists and the SU-8 family — so one tool spans both with no hardware change.

BEAM is used across photonics, MEMS, microfluidics, micro-optics, metamaterials, grayscale lithography, rapid prototyping, and general research patterning — anywhere mask sets are too slow or too expensive. It is in use at 40+ universities, fabs, and R&D labs worldwide.

BEAM patterns on Si, SiC, GaN, single-crystal diamond, glass, sapphire, III-V (GaAs/InP), MEMS wafers, and — with limits — flexible substrates, at sample thicknesses from 0 to 7 mm, on a non-vacuum chuck as standard (vacuum optional). Sample sizes run to 130 × 130 mm on the BEAM stage, 6-inch (150 mm) on BEAM XL, and 8-inch (200 mm) on BEAM XL8. The TTL autofocus works through the projection path and is transparent-substrate compatible, so glass and sapphire focus directly. Layouts import as GDSII, OASIS, CIF, DXF, Gerber, BMP, PNG, TIFF, or JPG, or can be drawn in-software — Glyph, NANYTE's free browser-based GDS editor at nanyte.com/glyph, is the design companion.

BEAM can expose one writefield in under 0.1 s, depending on the resist's dose requirements — a very high power-density UV LED delivers the intensity to clear most resists in a single short flash. Overall throughput then depends on the objective: from about 3 mm² per minute at 50× (0.5 µm pitch) up to 500 mm² per minute at 2.5×, letting you trade resolution for write speed on each job.

BEAM is designed to run without cleanroom-scale infrastructure: the tool installs on a standard lab bench and runs from a wall socket — 110/230 V AC at under 50 W, with no compressed air, gas, or cooling water, vibration isolation built in, and a safety interlock that stops exposure when the door opens. The practical cleanliness requirement comes from your resist process (spin-coating and development), not from the tool itself, and NANYTE supplies process guidelines for common photoresists.

Photoresist processing guidelines →

We know of no other maskless lithography system that reaches 0.4 µm at BEAM's price point — submicron writing at a fraction of the price of established systems. Every BEAM is quoted individually, so there is no fixed list price: cost depends on the stage (BEAM, XL, or XL8) and the optics engine (Lite, Standard, or Advanced) you choose. Request a quote and NANYTE responds within 1–2 business days.

It depends on the configuration, so BEAM is quoted per system rather than at a fixed list price — the main cost factors are the stage you choose, the optics engine and its objective set, and any options. Just as important is the total cost of ownership: because BEAM is a true desktop tool that installs in minutes and runs from an ordinary wall socket — no compressed air, gas, cooling water, or cleanroom-scale infrastructure — it avoids the facilities and installation costs that larger direct-write systems carry. Tell NANYTE your application and we'll put together a quote and, where possible, a demo, with a reply within 1–2 business days.

Labs typically shortlist BEAM alongside established direct-write laser writers such as the Heidelberg Instruments µMLA/DWL series and the Durham Magneto Optics MicroWriter, and as a maskless alternative to a contact mask aligner. What sets BEAM apart: it is a true desktop tool — from 310 × 340 × 335 mm and 20 kg — that runs from a wall socket with no compressed air, gas, or water; it writes sub-0.4 µm features with 0.5 µm through-the-lens overlay across a full 8-inch wafer; the Advanced engine adds 16-bit grayscale and software-selectable 365 + 405 nm; and the stage and optics engine are specified independently, with the engine field-upgradeable later. We know of no other maskless system that offers 0.4 µm at BEAM's price point. Request the datasheet to compare specifications line by line against your current quotes.

Yes. NANYTE (NANYTE Pte. Ltd., Singapore) designs and manufactures BEAM and is the OEM. The same system is sold through distribution partners under their own branding — including as POLOS® BEAM through Semiconductor Production Systems (SPS) and via SIMTRUM — so 'POLOS BEAM' and Simtrum's BEAM are the identical NANYTE-built tool, with the same specifications. It is sometimes searched as a direct-write or 'laser writer' system; BEAM is a UV-LED/DMD maskless tool. For demos and the full datasheet, contact NANYTE directly at [email protected].

Email [email protected] or use the enquiry form on this page. Depending on your location, NANYTE can arrange an online demo or a live, in-person one, and will share the full specification datasheet on request. Expect a reply within 1–2 business days.