Feb 1 2007
Imago Scientific Instruments® announced the shipment and installation of four of its LEAP® microscope systems in the quarter ending December 31, 2006, including the initial installations of Imago’s new 3000X Si system. LEAP microscopy provides high-sensitivity, quantitative 3D compositional imaging and analysis with atomic resolution, offering key insights into how a material’s atomic structure affects its mechanical and electrical properties. Imago’s LEAP offerings support voltage- and laser-pulsed-ionization capabilities, and include the flagship 3000X Si product line and the high-resolution 3DAP platform.
Imago installed the four systems into research facilities at University of Leoben (Austria), Iowa State University (USA), and Oxford University (UK, two systems). Each system was installed and became fully operational in less than two weeks. The multiple installations reflect the growing use of LEAP measurement technology within the materials-science research community, and reinforce Imago’s position as the technical and commercial leader in the rapidly growing market for nanotechnology instrumentation.
Atom probe’s ability to characterize metallic alloys has revolutionized metals research. In addition to metals research, the four newly installed systems will analyze a broad array of materials including semiconductors, electro-optic materials, and organic molecules. LEAP’s powerful 3D analytical capabilities are of particular importance in the fields of semiconductor and microelectronics design. LEAP technology is a key analytical component of SEMATECH’s International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) to enable development of nextgeneration microelectronics at the 45-nm node and beyond. Its ability to characterize transistor source/drain interfaces, determine 3D atomic distribution of dopant atoms and analyze high-k dielectric materials provides unique insights into microcircuitry design, where device yields are affected by physical tolerances measured in nanometers or even Angstroms.