June 17, 2008 — Carbon Nanoprobes (CN Probes), a start-up focused on commercializing advanced nano imaging technology, has selected First Nano’s applications laboratory to complete one of the most critical stages of development before the launch of CN Probes flagship product, a carbon nanotube probe tip, for use in Atomic Force Microscopes (AFM). First Nano is a division of CVD Equipment Corporation, a designer and manufacturer of custom Chemical Vapor Deposition processing equipment.

First Nano designs and manufactures highly specialized, commercial grade systems that grow Carbon Nanotubes (CNT’s) and nanowire materials. CNT’s are mission-critical to the nano imaging technology CN Probes is developing. First Nano’s furnace is the definitive ingredient necessary to complete the process development and production increase of CN Probes’ CNT probe tips. These specialized tips will allow scientists and engineers in multiple fields – from biotech to chip fabrication – to “See more and know more.”
“We take pictures of tiny things. We’re nano-photographers and our pictures provide value to scientists and engineers in several fields,” explains CN Probes’ CEO, Brian Ruby. “Several consumer products incorporate these tiny CNT’s as a material. Ours, however, is an actual mechanical device. We think of it as the difference between rubber and a tire, or silicon and a computer chip.”
“By providing private access at our application laboratory, First Nano enables CN Probes to significantly shorten their time to market and reduce upfront investment costs,” states Karlheinz Strobl, vice president of business development. “By completing this work in a private manner, CN Probes retains its intellectual property before and during this business phase. We expect that, as CN Probe’s business matures, it will either purchase a system from us, or First Nano will become part of CN Probes future supply chain. By providing such support services we offer another business growth path to enable the commercialization of tomorrow’s nano, solar and other emerging technologies today.”