---
title: "Supply and Commissioning of an Inductively Coupled Plasma Etcher"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-04eb72"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04eb72"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04eb72.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04eb72.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE"
published: "2026-01-08"
---

# Supply and Commissioning of an Inductively Coupled Plasma Etcher

Buyer: UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-04eb72

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## Summary

The public procurement process initiated by the University of Strathclyde involves the supply and commissioning of an Inductively Coupled Plasma Etcher, intended for their Institute of Photonics. Classified under laboratory, optical, and precision equipment, this contract is aimed at enhancing their cleanroom micro-fabrication facility. The procurement covers goods above the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) threshold and follows an open procedure. The facility is located in Glasgow, United Kingdom (UKM82), specifically within the Technology and Innovation Centre's cleanroom. After progressing through the planning and tender stages, the contract was awarded on 8th January 2026 to SENTECH Instruments GmbH, indicating a successful procurement cycle with the active involvement of international and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

This procurement opportunity is significant for businesses operating within the microelectronic machinery and apparatus sector, particularly those specialising in precision equipment for semiconductor processing. Participation in such tenders not only offers direct business growth through contract fulfilment but also establishes credentials for future opportunities within the higher education sector. Companies with the capability to provide high-quality, low-maintenance equipment capable of complex etching operations can benefit vastly. The inclusion of community benefits within the procurement framework enhances the social value generated, aligning business objectives with social impact goals, an attractive proposition for enterprises aiming for sustained growth and broader market influence.

## Notice

This Notice relates to an open tender above the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) threshold for goods related to research and development equipment required by the University of Strathclyde's (Contracting Authority) Institute of Photonics department. The Contracting Authority envisions a single supplier shall undertake the contract for the supply, delivery, installation and commissioning of an Inductively Coupled Plasma Etcher system at a University of Strathclyde Lab facility, located in the Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) specified cleanroom. The equipment is grant funded by the Wolfson Foundation to advance scientific investigation in neuro-technology.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The Institute of Photonics is seeking to complement their cleanroom micro-fabrication facility equipment with an Inductively Coupled Plasma Etcher system The Technical Team envision that the equipment will process semiconductor materials that will include but not be limited to: 1 Gallium Nitride (GaN) light-emitting diodes 2 Silicon (Si) passive and active devices The equipment will be used to advance scientific investigation in neuro-technology and operated by PhD students, Postdoctoral Research Associates and Technicians within the Institute of Photonics. The Contracting Authority anticipates that the contract will be for a duration of twenty (24) months. The Contracting Authority requires a supplier that can fulfil the below non-exhaustive list of requirements: 1 Inductively Coupled Plasma Reactive Ion Etching (ICP-RIE) mode of operation to plasma etch hard materials such as GaN at etch rate of >500nm/min 2 Deep Silicon Etching (DSE) mode of operation to plasma etch high aspect ratio and high-density structures in Silicon at etch rate of >1000nm/min 3 These two modes of operation co-existing within the same equipment within a minimal footprint 4 Low-maintenance, especially with the provision of servicing-free high vacuum pumping systems (magnetic-levitated turbo molecular pump) Please refer to the full technical and tender information available in the Public Contracts Scotland-Tender.

Options: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to request additional deliveries by the successful Tenderer, either intended as partial replacement of supplies or installations or as extensions of existing supplies and installations. The Contracting Authority may at it's sole discretion exercise this option.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001297-2026 |
| Notice type | Planning Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Planning, Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 8 Jan 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 14 Jul 2025 |
| Future notice date | 12 Mar 2025 |
| Award date | 16 Dec 2025 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £425,827 |
| Lots value | £425,827 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £375,883 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE |
| Locality | GLASGOW |
| Post town | Glasgow |
| Postcode | G1 1XU |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM3 West Central Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM32 Glasgow City |
| Local authority | Glasgow City |
| Electoral ward | Anderston/City/Yorkhill |
| Westminster constituency | Glasgow North East |
| Delivery location | TLM82 Glasgow City |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | SENTECH INSTRUMENTS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 31 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, equipment and consumables; lighting
- 38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

### Codes

- 31712100 - Microelectronic machinery and apparatus
- 38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

## Release History

- 8 Jan 2026 at 09:59 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001297-2026
- 11 Jun 2025 at 15:49 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031668-2025
- 11 Mar 2025 at 12:09 - Planning - Planning Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008704-2025

## Notice URLs

- http://www.strath.ac.uk/
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000792877
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000800205
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00113
- https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/esop/pts-host/public/pts/web/login.html

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04eb72. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04eb72.json.