FEI Company
(Nasdaq:FEIC), a leading provider of atomic-scale imaging and analysis systems,
today released the Quanta(TM) 50 Series scanning electron microscope (SEM),
which offers an outstanding combination of performance and versatility over
an extraordinary range of samples. The Quanta 50 Series will be introduced at
Pittcon (booth 1642) taking place in Chicago, March 8-13, 2009.
"The new Quanta 50 Series is one of the most versatile SEMs currently
available," said Daniel Phifer, product marketing manager, FEI. "It
is designed as a multipurpose SEM for labs that require high-performance imaging
for a broad range of samples, including those that are insulating, wet, dirty,
or dynamically changing, in industries such as materials research, mineralogy,
chemicals and petroleum, electronics, pharmaceuticals and biology. Unlike other
SEMs, where the sample has to fit the instrument design, the unique Quanta 50
Series is designed to enable viewing of any sample in its natural state. The
Quanta 50 Series delivers powerful performance and flexibility, which enables
it to remain a valuable investment as the needs of the lab change over time."
FEI has adapted some technologies used in the revolutionary Magellan (TM)
Extreme High Resolution SEM (XHR SEM) to engineer dramatic improvements in the
new Quanta system. Specifically, beam deceleration increases the surface imaging
capability with lower landing energies, and SmartSCAN(TM) technologies further
improve image quality by reducing noise. This adds class-leading high-vacuum,
low-landing energy imaging capability to the flexibility of the Quanta's
low-vacuum and environmental SEM (ESEM) technology. ESEM, pioneered by FEI,
enables the broadest range of in situ imaging conditions.
The Quanta 50 Series will be available in April 2009, and includes cost-effective
tungsten and high-performance field emission electron source options.