Bruker AXS Announces Closing of S.I.S. Acquisition and Exhibits its New Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) Product Line at EMC 2008

AACHEN, Germany--(EON:Enhanced Online News)--Bruker AXS GmbH announces the closing of its acquisition of S.I.S. Surface Imaging Systems GmbH, located near Aachen, Germany. S.I.S. develops, manufactures and distributes advanced atomic force/scanning probe microscopy (AFM/SPM) systems for numerous applications in materials research, including semiconductors, data storage, electronic materials, solar cells, polymers and catalysts.

“The most widely distributed S.I.S. product is the ULTRAObjective™, an extremely compact AFM add-on unit which can be easily integrated with standard optical microscopes. This straightforward integration provides direct access to the nanoworld, without compromise”

S.I.S. will be renamed Bruker Nano GmbH and will operate under its previous management. Starting today, Bruker’s new AFM product line will be exhibited at the 14^th European Microscopy Congress (EMC 2008, September 1-5), also in Aachen, Germany.

Dr. Frank Burgaezy, Bruker AXS Executive Vice President, commented: “The new Bruker high-performance AFM products range from small bench-top AFM systems, to integrated high-end AFM/optical microscope combinations, all the way to large floor standing instruments for the characterization of 300mm wafers in clean room environments. The impressive S.I.S. core technology consists of extremely compact AFM/SPM components which can be used easily with many instruments such as optical microscopes or micro-hardness testers. We are very pleased to have S.I.S. join the Bruker group, and further enhance our extensive high-performance materials research and QC product lines.”

“The most widely distributed S.I.S. product is the ULTRAObjective™, an extremely compact AFM add-on unit which can be easily integrated with standard optical microscopes. This straightforward integration provides direct access to the nanoworld, without compromise,” added S.I.S. Managing Director Dr. Frank Saurenbach.

The PICOStation™ system is an AFM/SPM stand-alone instrument achieving atomic resolution. With optional upgrades, the functionality can be expanded to a full-fledged AFM/SPM research tool. The options range from non-contact, MFM/EFM and force spectroscopy modes to measurements of friction and adhesion properties, all the way to resistance/work function characterization. A liquid immersion system is also available.

Combined with the optics of a research-grade optical microscope, the NANOStation™ II is a high performance inspection system. This robust instrument provides resolution in the sub-nanometer range and accepts various sample sizes. The easy handling of both the optical inspection and the AFM tool makes the NANOStation II a workhorse in every lab where accuracy, stability and reliability are of concern.

With the NANOStation™ HD, Bruker now provides an AFM inspection tool that provides resolution in the sub-Angstrom range and operates with under automation. Initially developed for the routine characterization of defects on hard disks, the NANOStation HD has evolved to a widely used premium AFM in various industrial applications. It allows preselecting multiple scanning locations with the integrated optical microscope, and subsequently running fully automatic AFM measurements. With its macro-programming capability, the user can even implement measurement cycles and methods. The NANOStation HD can be equipped with R-Θ or X-Y stages and handles sample sizes up to 100mm.

The NANOStation™ 300 AFM/SPM tool is another highlight of the new Bruker AFM product range. It combines the ability to inspect large samples with sizes up to 300 mm with a premium resolution of better than 0.05 nm. The rock-solid platform consists of granite with integrated air-bearing stages for fast positioning and high repeatability. Targeting the semiconductor market, the NANOStation 300 is clean room compatible and provides automated measurements. Coordinate files of various formats can be imported and used for finding and identifying defects. The NANOStation 300 is made for wafer inspection, mask metrology, solar panel characterization, and other applications where large samples need to be inspected with highest accuracy. Besides AFM, the NANOStation 300 can be equipped with optical, confocal, Laser scanning, Raman microscopy or other inspection tools.

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