DJ Hero Review
Green Wavelength's radical departure from conventional wind turbine design Green Wavelength unveils bumblebee inspired wind turbine
Subaru WRX STI TRAX Subaru WRX STI TRAX hits the backcountry
The Opera camper trailer has every conceivable luxury: electrically-adjustable beds, hot a... ‘Opera’ luxury camper trailer hits a high note
Zhong Lin Wang holds a prototype three-dimensional solar cell that could allow PV systems ... 3-D photovoltaic systems go where the sun don’t shine
Oasis of the Seas - world’s largest cruise liner Oasis of the Seas – world’s largest cruise liner sets sail this month
MORE TOP STORIES »
SCIENCE AND EDUCATION

ORION helium ion microscope

By Kyle Sherer

16:23 October 30, 2007 PDT

The ORION™ Helium ion Microscope from Carl Zeiss SMT

The ORION™ Helium ion Microscope from Carl Zeiss SMT

A revolutionary type of microscope that uses a beam of helium ions to provide significantly higher resolution images than commonly used electron microscopes promises a new era in sub-nanometer, ultra-high resolution scanning microscopy.

Dr Nicholas P. Economou and Bill Ward from Carl Zeiss SMT, Inc. have been awarded this year’s Wall Street Journal “Technology Innovation Award” in the category of “Materials and Other Base Technologies” for their work on the ORION helium ion microscope.

Unlike Scanning Electron Microscopes, which image and measure by focusing electrons into a beam, the ORION uses helium ions which can be focused into a smaller probe size. This provides a smaller sample interaction compared to electrons and allows for significantly greater image resolution, depth of focus and material contrast.

The ORION helium ion beam is said to be “the brightest illumination source ever created by man.” This is due to the fact that it originates from a region less than one angstrom, (0.1 nanometers), in size. The use of helium ions instead of electrons or other alternatives also provides other benefits, including a high secondary electron yield, and less sample damage. The images provide detailed information on the samples’ topographic, material, crystallographic, and electrical properties.

The ORION microscope was based on research conducted by ALIS Corporation - which was incorporated into Carl Zeiss SMT last year - and will enable scientific advancements in fields previously restricted by the limitations of the electron microscope, including semiconductor process control, life science applications and materials analysis. The ORION microscope has already been installed at the U.S. National Institute for Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg.

Tags
Post a Comment

Login with your gizmag account:




Or Login with Facebook:


Connect

Related Articles Email this article to a friend

Just enter your friends and your email address into the form below ...




Privacy is safe with us because we have a strict privacy policy.

Recent popular articles in Science and Education
Recent Comments Featured Galleries