Agilent Technologies Inc.
(NYSE: A) today announced that its Scanning Microwave Microscopy Mode (SMM
Mode) for use with its 5420 and 5600 atomic force microscopes (AFM) has been
named an R+D 100 Award winner. Recipients of these prestigious awards are
selected by an independent judging panel and the editors of R+D Magazine
in recognition of the 100 most technologically significant products introduced
into the marketplace during the past year. Agilent SMM Mode is an innovative
technique that combines the calibrated electrical measurement capabilities of
a microwave vector network analyzer with the nanoscale spatial resolution of
an AFM.
"Agilent is honored to receive an R+D 100 Award for this unique measurement
technology," said Jeff Jones, operations manager for Agilent's AFM facility
in Chandler, Ariz. "SMM Mode will be a highly useful tool in the evaluation
of semiconductor materials and will also have applications in biological and
materials research."
SMM Mode, which brings the outstanding sensitivity afforded by vector network
analyzers for electrical test down to the scale of an AFM probe for the first
time, works on all classes of semiconductors without requiring an oxide layer.
The new technique enables complex impedance (resistance and reactance), calibrated
capacitance, calibrated dopant density and topography measurements. In addition
to working on semiconductors, glasses, polymers, ceramics and metals, SMM Mode
lets researchers perform high-sensitivity investigations of ferroelectric, dielectric
and PZT materials. Studies of organic films, membranes and biological samples
can also benefit from SMM Mode.
The 47th Annual R+D 100 Awards will be formally presented at an awards
banquet in Orlando, Fla., on Nov. 12. A complete list of the award recipients,
including details about each winning innovation, is available at www.rdmag.com.
AFM Instrumentation from Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies offers high-precision, modular AFM solutions for research,
industry and education. Exceptional worldwide support is provided by experienced
application scientists and technical service personnel. Agilent's leading-edge
R+D laboratories ensure the continued, timely introduction and optimization
of innovative, easy-to-use AFM technologies.