Hillsboro, Ore./August 8, 2011 - FEI Company (NASDAQ: FEIC), a leading instrumentation company providing electron microscope systems for applications in research and industry, today announced the release of its new Versa 3D™ DualBeam™ system, which provides high-resolution, three-dimensional (3D) imaging and analysis on a wide range of sample types. The Versa 3D’s highly configurable platform allows customers to adapt the system’s capabilities to their specific requirements.
“The flexible configuration of the Versa 3D meets the demands of today’s researchers who study a wide variety of materials,” said Trisha Rice, vice president and general manager of FEI’s Research Business Unit. “FEI’s pioneering leadership in ion beam and electron beam techniques and methodologies are well matched to give researchers information from even the most challenging samples. Last year, FEI introduced the latest generation Helios NanoLab™, the highest resolution DualBeam in the world that incorporates industry-leading electron and ion beam technologies, and today we are unveiling the most flexible DualBeam, the Versa 3D.”
Versa 3D is available with either high vacuum-only or high and low vacuum electron imaging hardware. Low vacuum electron imaging capabilities allows the system to accomodate contaminating or outgassing samples that are incompatible with high vacuum operation. Low vacuum also provides the ability to compensate for charge build up in non conductive samples even at the high currents required for analysis techniques, such as energy dispersive (x-ray) spectroscopy (EDS) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD).
The Versa 3D combines FEI’s leadership in Schottky field emission electron beam and high throughput ion beam technologies into a configurable DualBeam system, setting a new standard for 3D characterization and analysis, site-specific sample modification and advanced sample preparation for transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) and atom probes. The high-performance platform can also be configured with FEI’s impressive low vacuum capabilities and even environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) for in situ analysis. Advanced SEM scanning and FIB patterning yield powerful imaging and milling performance. New features, such as FEI’s SmartSCAN™ and Drift Corrected Frame Integration (DCFI), facilitate electron beam imaging of sample types with a range of different properties. Advanced backscattered electron, as well as secondary electron and ion detectors, collect a wide variety of topographic, elemental and compositional information “from every angle.”
The combination of the latest AutoSlice & View™ G3 software option, the versatile electron imaging hardware and high throughput ion column enables researchers to capitalize on the charge balancing capabilities of ions and electrons. Milling (with positive ions) and imaging or drift suppression (with electrons) provides a unique synergy for automation of 3D serial slicing, imaging and analysis of both electrically conductive and non-conductive samples. When combined with EDS or EBSD, EDS3™ and EBS3™ software options can also be used to reconstruct elemental maps or crystallographic orientation data in 3D.
The Versa 3D addresses the diverse needs in materials research, life sciences, electronics and geosciences. It is available for ordering immediately. For more information, please visit http://www.fei.com/versa3d
About FEI
FEI (Nasdaq: FEIC) is a leading diversified scientific instruments company. It is a premier provider of electron- and ion-beam microscopes and tools for nanoscale applications across many industries: industrial and academic materials research, life sciences, semiconductors, data storage, natural resources and more. With more than 60 years of technological innovation and leadership, FEI has set the performance standard in transmission electron microscopes (TEM), scanning electron microscopes (SEM) and DualBeams™, which combine a SEM with a focused ion beam (FIB). FEI’s imaging systems provide 3D characterization, analysis and modification/prototyping with resolutions down to the sub-Ångström (one-tenth of a nanometer) level. FEI’s NanoPorts in North America, Europe and Asia provide centers of technical excellence where its world-class community of customers and specialists collaborate. FEI has over 1900 employees and sales and service operations in more than 50 countries around the world. More information can be found at: www.fei.com
