 Phenom is FEI’s commercially available version of its Phenom-Ed. (Photo: FEI Co.) |
June 25, 2007 — Following FEI Company‘s earlier unveiling of Phenom-Ed for the education market, the company has now officially launched the commercially available version of its small-size, low-cost scanning electron microscope (SEM). About the size of a tower PC (11″ x 22″ x 19″), Phenom bridges the gap between optical scopes and traditional SEMs: It provides magnification up to 20,000x — about 20 times higher than most advanced optical microscopes.
Yet its pricing is competitive with high-end optical systems, at approximately one-third the price of a traditional SEM (which typically runs more than $200,000 plus the costs of additional personnel and facilities). And its touch-screen interface promises highly intuitive and interactive operation – meaning that the Phenom does not require specialized facilities or highly skilled operators.
“The Phenom represents a technology jump similar to that of moving from CDs to MP3s. This is FEI’s iPod — it’s beautiful to look at and has a simple, intuitive interface. Its ease of use makes it extremely inviting, even to those who have never before operated a microscope,” said Dr. Steven Berger, vice president of the Phenom development group for FEI. “This new microscope makes high-resolution electron microscopy imaging practical and affordable, providing cost effective solutions for a wide range of imaging challenges that can no longer be solved with optical technologies.”
Applications of the Phenom are unlimited, and include materials research and development, pharmaceuticals, energy, forensics, semiconductor (MEMS) quality control/inspection, and higher education. For instance, inspection and quality assurance is key to production of reliable microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), where 3D imaging at 100-5000 magnification is required and low cost is a significant advantage. Similarly, size, distribution, and morphology of particles and powders are critical parameters for industries such as pharmaceuticals, composites, cosmetics, and catalysts, where high-end SEMs have traditionally been used. But now, users don’t have to buy more imaging power than they need and anyone can image the samples.
The Phenom is expected to bring high-resolution imaging to a much broader base of users and accelerate scientific discovery and new product development. And according to FEI, it represents new low-cost platform for future products from the company.
The Phenom is now available for purchase in Europe and North America. Sales to the rest of the world will be rolled out in 2008.