Company Announcements

In February, Olympus began selling its microscopy products directly in seven US states, taking over the former business of distributor Hitschfel Instruments.

FEI’s 2012 revenues grew 7.9% to $891.7 million (see IBO 2/28/13). On an organic basis, sales rose 6.8%. Adjusted operating income rose 0.4% to $34.2 million. Electronics, Materials Science, and Service and Components sales grew 12.9%, 8.0% and 16.5% to make up 33%, 35% and 22% of revenues, respectively. Life Sciences sales fell 19.4% to make up 9%. Sales to the US and Canada, and Asia-Pacific/Rest of World increased 13.4% and 15.4% to account for 31% and 37% of revenues, respectively, but sales to Europe declined 6.3% to make up 32%. The company forecasts 2013 revenues to grow 5%–9%.

In February, Phase Focus entered into a licensing agreement with Gatan for its lens-free Phase Focus Virtual Lens technology, a digital replacement for conventional image-forming optics. Gatan will market a Virtual Lens “add-on” for electron microscopes.

In March, Oxford Instruments merged its Omicron NanoTechnology and NanoScience businesses to form Oxford Instruments Omicron NanoScience.

In April, Bruker announced a collaborative partnership with the University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute to leverage its Dimension FastScan AFM for research into the nanofabrication and nanoscale properties of graphene.

Product Introductions

Leica Microsystems released Leica Application Suite Advanced Fluorescence 3 microscopy software, featuring a new user-interface design optimized for fluorescence imaging.

Agilent announced in February the compatibility of its 6000ILM AFM with the Nikon TiE series and Olympus IX series inverted light microscopes. Also available for the 6000 ILM is an incubator perfusion cell-sample plate.

In March, Park Systems introduced the Park XE7, an affordable, research-grade AFM, which includes flexible sample handling, and a flat and orthogonal XY scan.

In March, JEOL added energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy technology to its NeoScope desktop SEM.

FEI launched the ASPEX CleanCHK analyzer, a fully automated, electron beam–based particular contamination monitor designed for automotive applications. It combines an SEM with an X-ray spectrometer and can be installed on the production floor.

In April, Xradia introduced the VersaXRM-410 3D X-ray microscope, a workhorse solution for diverse research lab environments at a price that is more typical of micro- and nano-CT solutions.

Bruker released the Dimension Icon SSRM (Scanning Spreading Resistance Microscopy)–HR AFM configuration for semiconductor characterization. It features an environmental control system capable of 1 ppm gas purity.