LTB Lasertechnik Berlin celebrates 25 years of existence

This year, LTB Lasertechnik Berlin GmbH celebrates 25 years of company history. The anniversary was marked by a reflection on LTB’s history and a look ahead at the planned development for the coming years, celebrated by the management, founders, and employees.

Today, LTB develops, manufactures, and distributes pulsed lasers across the entire optical spectral range, high-resolution spectrometers, and laser-based measurement technology worldwide.

LTB Lasertechnik Berlin GmbH was founded in 1990 by scientists and engineers from the Academy of Sciences of the GDR in Berlin-Adlershof. Based on extensive experience in laser and optical measurement technology development, as well as the reacquisition of its own patents, they laid the foundation for a successful development.

In 2008, LTB was transformed into a family-owned business. Dr. Matthias Scholz, the former managing director and partner, and his son, Christian Scholz, acquired the shares of the company, making the business 100% family-owned.

That same year, LTB completed its ISO 9001:2000 certification.

In 2013, the company moved into a newly built facility that not only addressed the growing need for space but also met the highest environmental and energy standards.

It all began with nitrogen lasers and dye laser systems for individual customers in research and education. Today, LTB supplies its nitrogen lasers primarily to industrial customers in the bioanalytics field, where they are used as optimal and reliable excitation sources in MALDI‑TOF mass spectrometers and fluorescence readers. This success was made possible by the development of a completely new patented laser generation that meets the highest standards of reliability and precision. To date, LTB has sold more than 7,000 nitrogen lasers.

The second pillar of the company has been the production of high-resolution echelle spectrometers since the turn of the millennium. In response to demand from the semiconductor industry, LTB, in collaboration with ISAS, the Institute for Spectrochemistry and Applied Spectroscopy in Berlin, now the Leibniz Institute for Analytical Sciences, developed a unique high-resolution echelle spectrometer, ELIAS, for characterizing excimer lasers and optics in semiconductor production. The third generation of these ELIAS spectrometers now achieves a spectral resolution of 22 femtometers. ELIAS spectrometers are now the global standard for quality control of lithography lasers.

Building on the experience from the development of the high-resolution ELIAS spectrometer, LTB, together with ISAS, has developed other smaller, but still very high-resolution, echelle spectrometer models, ARYELLE and DEMON, which are used in laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIBS), Raman spectroscopy, and the characterization of diode lasers.

A particular strength of LTB lies in the development and engineering of specific system solutions for customers in science and industry. These include vacuum LIBS systems for space research, LIBS-Raman microscopy systems for geological research, LIBS analyzers for process analysis in ore extraction and scrap sorting on production lines, as well as systems for quality control, such as for solar panels.

A significant part of LTB’s business is the medical technology division, founded in 2012, which marked the beginning of the path toward achieving medical certification for the LIMES 16‑P. The LIMES 16‑P is a device for the early detection of melanoma, based on a patented LTB method for detecting melanin in human skin.

The market launch of LIMES 16‑P, the development of new laser models, the continued reliable supply of customers with high-quality lasers, and the acquisition of new industrial customers for our optical measurement technology systems are key goals that will drive LTB’s development in the future. Expanding into international markets is also an important part of the strategy. With an export share of more than 80%, LTB is already highly successful internationally, particularly in Asia, where the company sees significant growth potential.