FEI’s Quanta(TM) SEMs and Malvern’s Advanced Particle Analysis Software

Combine to Deliver Ground-breaking Solution for Nanoscale Applications

HILLSBORO, Ore., Sept. 12 — FEI Company

(Nasdaq: FEIC) and Malvern Instruments Ltd (Malvern, UK) have entered into

a joint development and marketing program for advanced nanoparticle

analysis utilizing Malvern’s particle image analysis software on FEI’s line

of Quanta(TM) scanning electron microscopes (SEMs). The combination

delivers a powerful particle analysis solution that extends current

analysis technologies for nano-sized particles.

FEI’s Quanta SEMs offer users the flexibility to analyze materials

without imposing many of the traditional SEM sample preparation

constraints, thereby greatly extending the applicability for particle

analysis.

Malvern’s particle image analysis software will be optimized for FEI’s

Quanta SEMs. A proven solution, this package is already used on Malvern

systems that encompass traditional optical microscopes, such as the

Morphologi G2, with many research and industrial users around the world.

These systems provide rapid data on particle size and morphology and yield

distribution profiles for quality control and manufacturing applications.

Rationalizing batch to batch variation of materials, identifying crystal

polymorphisms and the identification of foreign bodies are just some of the

current applications.

“As the size of materials used in product development and manufacturing

continues to move from the microscale into the nanoscale there is an

increasing need for characterization tools that move beyond the limits of

light microscopy,” commented Matt Harris, FEI’s vice president of worldwide

marketing and business development. “This combination of FEI and Malvern

technologies provides a powerful process and quality control tool for a

growing number of nano-enabled products that are moving into production.”

Malvern’s Business Development Director, Duncan Roberts said: “The

joint venture with FEI is an exciting development, as this is the first

time that Malvern software has been applied to another company’s

instrumentation. Already proven with light microscopy, the execution of

this solution on FEI systems provides SEM users with a powerful new tool.”

The bundled solution will be released later this year. It will be

actively promoted to current and potential customers of both FEI and

Malvern Instruments.