At the Microscopy and Microanalysis 2008 meeting and exhibition being held
in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Carl
Zeiss SMT, a leading global provider of electron- and ion-beam imaging and
analysis equipment, introduced a new, improved Helium Ion Microscope called
the ORION® PLUS. The original ORION instrument, introduced almost exactly
one year ago, demonstrated that Helium ion microscopy has a uniquely powerful
set of features that allow scientists to see things never before visible. And
now it's even better.
Orion® PLUS is the new Helium Ion Microscope with significant improvements.
The ORION® PLUS incorporates several design enhancements that deliver improved
imaging:
- The tip geometry has been modified to increase the accelerating voltage
of the helium ions, resulting in improved resolution;
- A new “Clear View” sample cleaning system combines plasma cleaning,
heating elements and an in-situ vapor cleaning technique to remove hydrocarbons
from the sample and the environment preventing re-deposition in the area being
scanned, which results in increased surface detail;
- An enhanced signal collection technique called “Signal Boost”
increases electron collection at short working distances for improved signal
to noise; and
- An operating mode called “Quiet Mode Imaging” is an approach
based on the use of a cryomechanical pump for cooling the source – instead
of liquid nitrogen – where users can virtually eliminate vibration for
noise-free images. This approach also provides a colder ion source, which
yields an increase in brightness.
Dirk Stenkamp, a member of the Board of Carl Zeiss SMT, said, “We are
proud of the magnitude of improvement we have been able to achieve in only a
year of development since the introduction of the first commercially practical
Helium ion beam microscope. We will continue to push the envelope of advanced
microscopy, delivering solutions that enable scientists to see and create at
the nanometer scale.”