FEI says its Phenom-Ed is the world’s first tabletop SEM designed for education. (Photo: FEI Company)

Mar. 7, 2007 — FEI Company has demonstrated Phenom-Ed, its tabletop scanning electron microscope (SEM) designed specifically for education, on Capitol Hill. The Phenom-Ed provides magnification up to 20,000x&#8212far beyond the range of traditional optical microscopes, which gives students access to micro- and nanoscale worlds rarely seen in undergraduate and high school studies. Congressman David Wu (D-OR), Congresswoman Darlene Hooley (D-OR), Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senator Gordon Smith (D-OR) were among the 40 senators and representatives attending, and who had the opportunity to try out the Phenom-Ed.

FEI, a global developer of electron microscopes and focused ion beam systems, created the microscope to bring a new teaching dimension to the classroom and foster interest in advanced science education. The company says Phenom-Ed will help enhance traditional teaching methods and open the door for the next generation of innovative scientists. The Phenom-Ed will be launched in the third quarter of this year.

“We believe that the Phenom-Ed is the future of science education. It is easy to use, affordable and truly brings the study of science, technology, engineering and math to life for students,” said Don Kania, President and CEO of FEI. “The Phenom-Ed embodies the commitment to improving technical education through innovation and will enhance the infrastructure to support the growth of science and technology in the U.S.”

About the size of a desktop PC, the Phenom-Ed aims to promote active learning and interest in science by giving students an interactive, dynamic, and fun learning tool. The company worked to make it fully automated and easy to use, and claims it is the world’s first electron microscope with an interactive touch screen.

The Phenom-Ed demonstrations on Capitol Hill featured experts from the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI), an FEI partner in developing the tabletop SEM, as well as scientists and engineers involved in the development of the microscope and professors engaged in the beta-testing phase. They answered questions for congressional leaders and provide insight into the impact of this technology breakthrough and future opportunities for science education.

The Phenom-Ed is in the final stages of beta-testing at the Ohio State University, Jackson State University, the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Chemeketa Community College, Winona State University, and Portland State University.
The development of the tabletop SEM was based upon work supported by the Department of Energy Solar Energy Program under Award Number DE-FG36-06GO86073 and the Department of Energy Biological and Environmental Research under Award Number DE-FG02-06ER64248.

A similar tabletop SEM system, optimized for a wide range of industrial applications will also be released later this year.