The Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN) of North Carolina A+T State University (NC A+T) and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) has chosen Carl Zeiss SMT to be the supplier of a state-of-the-art suite of advanced charged-particle-beam microscopes. Included is the first, world record setting ORION® PLUS helium-ion-microscope ever installed in the Southeastern U.S.
Dr. James G. Ryan, Founding Dean, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (Photo: Business Wire)
“Our objective is to become a world class educational and technical institution, with an infrastructure that includes the advanced instruments needed to support leading-edge fundamental and applied research in Nanoscience and Nanoengineering,” said Dr. James G. Ryan, Dean, JSNN. “One of the core essentials for this infrastructure is a set of microscopy and analysis instruments that enables us to see and analyze materials at the nano level.”
"The Carl Zeiss ORION® PLUS helium-ion-microscope is a true 'impact technology', holding the world record for scanning electron and ion microscopy resolution. This revolutionary instrument is enabling research in a wide variety of nanobiomedical and nanoenvironmental science areas beyond the limitations of conventional electron microscopy," said Ryan.
JSNN selected a suite of cutting-edge microscopes from Carl Zeiss, a manufacturer widely recognized for its over 150 year history of innovation and technical excellence in the field of optics, especially microscopes. Today, the Carl Zeiss family of microscopes includes optical instruments and instruments powered by charged particle beams like scanning electron- and helium-ion-microscopes.
In addition to the ORION PLUS helium-ion-microscope, JSNN will be acquiring three additional electron microscopes from Carl Zeiss SMT Inc.:
- an EVO® multi-purpose scanning electron microscope (SEM) that is also known as an “environmental SEM” and will enable examination of biological samples without metallic coating;
- a LIBRA® 120 PLUS energy-filter transmission electron microscope (TEM) for high resolution study of nanostructures coupled with chemical analysis capability; and
- an AURIGA™ CrossBeam® FIB/SEM workstation, a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope with Focused Ion Beam to enable high resolution examination of samples as well as in-situ sample preparation.
“We are delighted to have a world class company with a total solutions approach like Carl Zeiss as a partner and to have this suite of advanced microscopy tools available to our students, faculty and other industrial partners,” said Ryan. “The JSNN-Carl Zeiss partnership will involve scientific collaboration in a number of areas and enable use of the microscopes for Carl Zeiss customer demonstrations. The partnership is expected to create jobs in the Triad region and help attract additional high caliber partners to work with JSNN.”
Dr. Nicholas P. Economou, President of Carl Zeiss SMT Inc., said, “The remarkable strides already made by JSNN are indicative of what can happen when the right team of people comes together in a well-defined effort to reach a clear objective. We are very pleased to partner with JSNN, and look forward to working with Jim Ryan and his team as the organization continues to move forward.”
The Carl Zeiss microscopes are scheduled for installation at JSNN in the coming months on the South Campus of The Gateway University Research Park, being jointly developed by NC A&T and UNCG.