December 16, 2008: Heidelberg Instruments announced the sale of a μPG101 table top maskless laser patterning system to the Alberta Center for Advanced MNT Products, Canada. The system will be used for prototyping and fabrication of various devices including biosensors and microfluidics.

The μPG101 is an extremely economical and easy to use Micro Pattern Generator for direct write applications as well as low volume mask making. It is also perfectly suitable for rapid prototyping of 2D and 3D microstructures on substrates up to 4-in. × 4-in., and is capable of exposing high resolution features with an address grid of 40nm. The μPG101 is capable of both Vector and Raster scanning exposure strategy.

The Alberta Centre for Advanced MNT Products (ACAMP) is the new Open Innovation Centre for microsystems and nanotechnology enabled new products and industrial applications. With multi-million dollar initial public investment announced by the government of the Province of Alberta in May 2007 as part of its Alberta Nano Strategy, ACAMP is dedicated to building a world class capability that will grow to make Alberta a world-leading locale for the assembly and packaging of Micro-Nano-Technologies (MNT) enabled devices and development of new commercial products and industrial applications.

The Centre and its services will be accessible to Alberta researchers, start-up companies and established companies. Its focus will be on applying technologies to innovating products and new industrial applications where Alberta has either a strategic lead or opportunity or where these will be beneficial to key sectors such as life sciences, energy, and ICT. This it will do in collaboration with provincial, national and international supplier and value chain partners and networks. Core platform technologies include: MEMS, optics, RF-instrumentation, microfluidics and biosensors.