Company Announcements

Carl Zeiss SMT, the University of Ulm and CEOS GmbH announced a partnership to develop a low-voltage transmission electron microscope (TEM). The five-year €11.5 million ($14.7 million) project will receive €4.2 million ($5.4 million) from the German Research Foundation and €3.7 million ($4.7 million) from Carl Zeiss.

NanoInk’s NanoFrabrication Systems Division appointed Quantum Design as its exclusive distributor for China and India.

Carl Zeiss reported that Microscopy revenue for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2008 rose 5% to €339 million ($506 million), 10% adjusted for currency, to make up 12% of sales. Microscopy sales also increased in the fiscal first quarter. Due to declines in Semiconductor Technology and Industrial Metrology sales, the company has instituted cost cutting measures, including furlough programs.

In April, Olympus America purchased the microscope, imaging and image analysis business of Optical Analysis, a distributor and value-added reseller of scientific instrumentation and systems based in Nashua, New Hampshire. Optical Analysis will retain its corporate name and certain other assets.

Product Introductions

Optical and scanning probe microscope company WITec released the Project Plus software package for data evaluation and chemometric image processing.

Veeco Instruments introduced the BioScope Catalyst Life Science Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), which is designed for easier and more effective integration with light microscopy.

Leica Microsystems launched the 3D Measuring Microscope DCM 3D, which combines confocal and interferometry technology for contact-free 3D surface measurement that resolves structures smaller than 1 nm. It was jointly developed with Sensofar.

ASPEX released the PSEM express, a benchtop scanning electron analyzer with a price starting at $75,000. It detects particles from 100 nm to 5 mm with 25 nm resolution.

Carl Zeiss SMT launched the SPECTRA detector for its ORION Plus Helium-ION-Microscope, enabling structural and composition analysis.

Carl Zeiss SMT introduced the AURIGA CrossBeam focused ion beam–scanning electron microscope workstation, featuring a redesigned vacuum chamber.

FEI released the Fibermetric system, based on its Phenom personal electron microscope, for the measurement and analysis of micro- and nano-fibers.

Agilent introduced the Agilent 5420 AFM, featuring lower noise electronics and improved visual optics.

Sales/Orders of Note

In May, FEI announced the receipt of its 100th order for the Titan TEM. The Titan was introduced in 2005.