Nikiski: How much did your experience at Carl Zeiss prepare you for your current role?
Kramer: If you don't have the experience you gained from your previous job, you won't be able to do your current job properly. First, his early sales training taught him the importance of putting aside his own emotions and working with customers to find the best solution. This changed my perception of customers and taught me how to see myself and my company from a customer's perspective. Secondly, the experience I gained in scaling, corporate structure, international sales, product management and strategic marketing was critical. At Karl Zeiss, I was always looking for new challenges and had many roles. Thanks to this, I was able to learn through trial and error, which was very useful when I joined AtCube.
Nikitsky: How did attocube develop?
Kramer: attocube was founded in 2001 as an independent company from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich. The aim is to commercialize a nanopositioning device developed by Khaled Karai and his doctoral student Dirk Haft that can function under extreme conditions such as cryogenic temperatures, ultra-high vacuum, and magnetic fields. was. In 2006, the company moved to a larger facility in Munich, and in 2008 attocube Systems Inc. was founded in Berkeley, California. Further expansion took place in 2011, and in 2014 attocube became a majority shareholder in neaspec, a German nanoscale optical imaging and spectroscopic microscope design and manufacturing company. Opened NanoFactory in 2018, followed by 1200m2 Additional space will be reserved for logistics production and testing in 2023.
Over this period, attocube has developed a wide product portfolio, ranging from precision motion components such as nanopositioners and interferometers, to measurement platforms such as scanning probe microscopes and closed-cycle cryostats for scientific and industrial applications. All equipment and components are designed to function at extremely low temperatures, high magnetic fields, and ultra-high vacuum.
75% of our customers belong to academia and are widely distributed in Europe, the United States, and Asia. Since I joined the company in 2017, the number of employees has expanded from approximately 100 to 250.
Nikitsky: What are the main challenges facing Atcube these days?
Kramer: Supply issues still exist due to the impact of the new coronavirus. Although the situation has improved, delivery and quality issues still remain. Another challenge is politics. We work in a high-tech environment that is increasingly regulated by import and export regulations and restricted by embargoes and restrictions.
Nikitsky: What are your best-selling products?
Kramer: Our interferometers are getting really fast. A few years ago, we built an industrial version of it, and at the time many people thought that such high precision was not necessary. Now everyone seems to want it and orders are currently pouring in. Additionally, our nanopositioners are in high demand both from academics involved in condensed metaphysics and from customers in the semiconductor and optical industries. The semiconductor equipment industry does not require low temperatures, but requires stable systems that can withstand vacuum and clean room environments. Another growth area is quantum technology.
Nikitsky: How important is quantum technology to you right now?
Kramer: We provide enabling technologies to companies involved in quantum states and processes such as single photon sources, trapped ions, superconducting qubits and photon qubits. To maintain their quantum properties, these delicate states require cryogenic environments, low vibrations, or high vacuum. Fortunately, we can offer a wide range of low-vibration, unique compact rack cryostats, as well as high-precision components to tune, operate, and test such advanced quantum systems. For example, our newest product, the ultra-compact 19-inch rack-compatible close-cycle mobile cryostat, can be used to cool sensors. The device operates between 110 and 240 volts, requires no water supply or special infrastructure, and can be used to cool quantum communication sensors and repeaters.
