FEI's Automated 3D Cyrstallography Featured at PITTCON

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FEI's Automated 3D Cyrstallography Featured at PITTCON
    FEI's EBS3 Fully-Automated Electron Backscattered Diffraction Solution
         Delivers Rapid Serial Sectioning and 3D Crystal Orientation
                         Reconstructions of Materials

    HILLSBORO, Ore., March 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- FEI Company
(Nasdaq: FEIC) will feature its EBS3 DualBeam(TM) solution for rapid serial
sectioning and 3D crystallographic reconstructions of materials at this week's
PITTCON conference in Orlando.  The fully integrated solution, utilizes an FEI
DualBeam (FIB/SEM) system with an EBSD detector and advanced automation
software.
    EBS3 is an optimized extension to Slice and View technology pioneered by
FEI. While Slice and View generates serial images for 3D image reconstruction,
EBS3 also provides crystallographic information, including serial EBSD
orientation maps for quantitative 3D grain reconstruction, using the crystal
orientation of each individual voxel within the volume of interest. The
automated data collection procedure includes accurate (re)positioning between
the milling location and the EBSD location to accommodate the geometry
requirements for both operations.
    EBS3 was developed in collaboration with Prof Dr Hamish Fraser at Ohio
State University and with HKL Technology (Oxford Instruments) as a strategic
partner.  The basic concept of EBS3 was first introduced by FEI in April 2004.
Product development focused on a depth resolution similar to the lateral
resolution (hundreds of slices) and on automated, unattended use for 60 hours
or more. The first beta customers included Ohio State University, Gent
University (Belgium) and, recently, University of Manchester (UK).
    "EBS3 users are now able to obtain a wealth of crystallographic
information from a sample, including the orientation, position, size and shape
of grains and phases within internal interfaces as well as grain boundary
related data.  A 3D view of these characteristics was previously an extremely
difficult and time consuming endeavor," said Hamish Fraser of OSU. "This will
enhance research for 3D FE (finite element) modeling, alloy development, grain
boundary engineering, and validation of stereological corrections. It will
also result in faster development cycles for new nano-enabled materials."
     PITTCON attendees can learn more about EBS3 and FEI's entire range of
solutions for NanoResearch and Industry, NanoElectronics and NanoBiology by
visiting the FEI booth (2045) at the Orange Country Convention Center in
Orlando. Conference exhibit hours are 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday, March 13
through Wednesday March 15, and 9:00 am - 3:00 pm on Thursday, March 16.

    About FEI
    FEI's Tools for Nanotech(TM), featuring focused ion- and electron-beam
technologies, deliver 3D characterization, analysis and modification
capabilities with resolution down to the sub-Angstrom level and provide
innovative solutions for customers working in NanoBiology, NanoResearch and
NanoElectronics.  With R&D centers in North America and Europe, and sales and
service operations in more than 50 countries around the world, FEI is bringing
the nanoscale within the grasp of leading researchers and manufacturers and
helping to turn some of the biggest ideas of this century into reality.  More
information can be found on the FEI website at:  http://www.fei.com.
SOURCE FEI Company
http://www.fei.com
CONTACT:
Dan Zenka, APR, Global Public Relations of
FEI Company, +1-503-726-2695, or dzenka@feico.com