At the forefront of surface texture analysis

At the European Society for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology (EUSPEN) 11^th International Conference and Exhibition in Lake Como, Italy, Olympus displayed its LEXT OLS4000 confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM), as well as presenting informative posters and participating in the commercial session.

As an influential community linking industrialists, researchers and respected authorities, EUSPEN consists of an in-depth conference, exhibition, poster session and commercial session. As a result of this multi-faceted forum, users can adopt ideas to ensure that their dimensional measurements and surface texture analyses are accurate and reliable, as well as being compliant with current industry standards.

As part of the poster session, Mr Hitoshi Suzuki, Olympus Corporation, Japan, detailed his findings on 'A study of surface measuring limitation on a laser scanning microscope by the examination of response properties of surface texture and slope detection on a ruby sphere sample'. Since identifying and rejecting doubtful measurements is key to maintaining accuracy, instruments need to be able to produce precise and repeatable results. Accuracy when using a CLSM depends on the numerical aperture (NA) of the objective lens; steep slope measurements up to 80º can be accurately obtained when using a 0.95 NA lens.

The Olympus LEXT OLS4000 confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM),

During the commercial session, Olympus gave a brief presentation on its capabilities within optical metrology. Mr Hitoshi Suzuki discussed Olympus's abilities as one of the biggest and most respected providers of microscope systems and accessories for observing surfaces, as well as analysing materials and nanoparticles. 

The Olympus LEXT OLS4000
The LEXT OLS4000 CLSM microscope incorporates a 405 nm laser and dual pinholes, which operate simultaneously to ensure that the system provides outstanding clarity and resolution, as well as enabling steep slope detection up to 85º. As a result, even the most complex surface topologies can be imaged and analysed with high resolution and clarity.

For further information contact, Esther Ahrent, e-mail: microscopy@olympus-europa.com or view website: www.microscopy.olympus.eu   Refer to page 248 

Sierra's portable ultrasonic flow meter delivers
powerful new features at lowest price in the industry

Sierra Instruments' next generation Innova-Sonic® 210i, is its updated universal transit-time flow meter for liquid flow measurement applications.

The Innova-Sonic® 210i features a high-powered ultrasonic pulse with improved digital signal processing, thereby enabling the unit to use just one set of transducers over a wide range of pipe sizes. The 210i also includes a new user-friendly tactile pushbutton interface with a large digital display that significantly simplifies set-up and data collection.

"In 2004, we introduced the first Sierra Innova-Sonic® 210," said Scott Rouse, Sierra Product Line Director. "It featured everything necessary for making a fluid flow measurement, in one inclusive package. Our portable 210i really raises the bar with its innovative new features and affordable price."

Sierra's Innova-Sonic® 210i comes with a fully field-configurable 4-20mA current loop analog output, 2GB SD memory card for data logging, and a suite of powerful yet extremely user friendly programming menus that simplify data analysis. Complex totalization functions are standard, including parallel operation of positive, negative and net flow totalizers.  

The Innova-Sonic 210i portable also includes extremely easy to install clamp-on transducers with magnetic racks (chain straps are included for non-magnetic pipes). A long-lasting (up to 16 hours between charges) 11 VDC Lithium-ion battery and charger are included. Everything necessary for making the measurement (meter, transducers, mounting rack, coupling compound) is packaged in a pelican carrying case for easy transport. All of this is available at a price significantly below competitive meters.

The Innova-Sonic portable features an accuracy of +/-1.0% of reading, a wide operating temperature range -40°F to 176°F (-40°C to 80°C) and a bi-directional flow range of 0 to 40f/s liquids (0 to 12m/s). The flow meter can be used for a wide range of pipe sizes from 1.0" to 48" (25mm to1200mm). The built-in totalizers record daily, monthly and yearly totalized flow. Totalized flow for the last 64 days and months and even over the last 5 years are may be viewed.

Sierra Instruments in profile
A global leader in flow measurement and control for over 35 years, Sierra instruments designs and manufactures high performance flow instrumentation for gas, liquid and steam applications commonly found in the semiconductor, environmental, scientific research, petrochemical, energy, aerospace, and general manufacturing industries. With over 150 offices in 50 countries, Sierra is uniquely positioned to provide their innovative products and lifetime support for the leading companies of today and the growth enterprises of tomorrow.

For further information, e-mail: m_washington@sierrainstruments.com or for technical information view website: www.sierrainstruments.com/innovasonic210i or for general information, view website: www.sierrainstruments.com

Nanoscale antennas hold out the promise of
higher resolution optical imaging of nano objects

Andor iDus camera captures dramatic results that promise major advances for highly efficient solar energy photoelectric devices development, precise optical imaging and single molecule detection

Nanoscale antennas hold out the promise of higher resolution optical imaging of nano objects, including proteins and DNA molecules, and converting solar energy into electricity at very high efficiencies. Now, a team from the University of Illinois led by Nicholas Fang and Kimani Toussaint has demonstrated a 1,000-fold increase in the UV-Visible optical response of devices based on nanoantennas periodic arrays.

First proposed by Robert L. Bailey in 1972, nanoantennas are analogous to radio and microwave antennas, except that they can absorb a specific range of wavelengths of light dependant on their geometry and size. Bowtie NanoAntennas consist of two triangular pieces of gold with their tips facing each other in the shape of a miniature bowtie. They take energy from the illuminating beam and compress it into the nanometre gap separating the two triangles. The result is a concentrated spot of light that is many times more intense than the incoming laser beam.

Fang and Toussaint's team fabricated 50 nm thick gold Bowtie NanoAntenna (BNA) composed of two equilateral triangles with 140 nm sides separated by a 20 nm gap and acquired the emission spectra when illuminated with 780 nm laser light using an Andor iDus DU420A-BU camera. When individual antennas were gathered into arrays with 500 nm centre-to-centre spacing, they found that the large local intensity enhancement of the single BNA was boosted by a factor of 1,000. More importantly, resonantly excited arrays exhibited uniform emission over a spectral region of more than 250 nm. The team believes that optimisation of the nanoantenna array periodicity may lead to even further efficient devices.

Recent studies have also suggested the possible development of nanoantenna-based solar energy collection devices with conversion efficiency up to 80 % - compared to 20% for traditional solar cells - as well as the use of nanoantennas arrays as nanoscale light sources to scan and image biological molecules or synthetic nano-objects such as carbon nanotube bundles.

Antoine Varagnat, Product Specialist at Andor, commented that "NanoAntennas have come under greater scrutiny over the last few years, due to their potential to provide nanoscale, cost-effective optical probing or high-efficiency collection devices. Andor's iDus CCD platform is ideally suited to the study of the key mechanisms at the origin of nanoantennas unique properties, namely nonlinear Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) and complex photoluminescence. iDus' high UV to Near-Infrared response, ultra low noise and high dynamic range allow the analysis of a wide range of intensities of these broadband phenomena, providing the accurate information essential to the fine-tuning and optimization of the amplification properties of these nanoantennas. And iDus "BU" UV-enhanced back-illuminated CCD was just the right choice for the team's 350 to 660 nm detection requirement."

Andor's modular Spectroscopy solutions encompass a wide range of high performance CCD, ICCD and EMCCD detectors, as well as a comprehensive range of Research-grade spectrograph platforms.

To learn more about the iDus camera series and their use in spectroscopy,  view website: www.andor.com/spectroscopy_solutions/  Refer to page 264

Agilent GC/MS and LC/MS systems receive international design awards

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced that two of its scientific instruments - the 5975T transportable gas chromatography/mass spectrometry system and the 6490 triple quadrupole liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry system - have received awards in the 2012 International Forum product design competition.

"Our products are made for scientists, not the general public, so it's particularly gratifying to be recognized by the international design community," said Gil Lemke, industrial designer at Agilent. "Design matters, even in highly technical fields."

The Agilent GC/MS and LC/MS instruments - winners in the Industry/Skilled Trades category - are used for very precise food safety testing, environmental analysis, pharmaceutical research and quality control, energy and disease research.

The International Forum has held its design competition since 1953, and the judges consider criteria such as design quality, finish, choice of materials, degree of innovation, environmental impact, functionality, ergonomics, visualization of intended use, safety, branding, and universal design aspects. This year there were 2,923 entries from 48 countries.

For further information about Agilent , view website: www.agilent.com  Refer to next page

Agilent Technologies joins GreenCentre Canada
industry sponsors to help drive Green chemistry research

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) has joined the sponsors of GreenCentre Canada, a national centre of excellence for commercializing green chemistry discoveries generated by academic researchers and industry.

"I am extremely excited to have Agilent join our group of industry sponsors," said Dr. Rui Resendes, executive director of GreenCentre Canada. "As a global leader in the development of analytical technologies, Agilent brings expertise that will be invaluable in the support of all our commercialization activities."

"Agilent is very excited to become a GreenCentre industry sponsor," said Kathy Moffatt, country manager for Agilent's Chemical Analysis Group in Canada. "We share the same vision to advance green chemistry and our products and our people will continue to reflect this commitment."

GreenCentre's commercialization model is unprecedented for the way that it involves industry partners in centre governance and in the assessment and selection of technologies to be commercialized. The not-for-profit centre offers an all-in-one commercialization ecosystem that includes everything from assessment, scale-up and testing to intellectual property protection, business management and financial resources.

In addition to Agilent, GreenCentre's industrial partners to date include Ford Motor Co., Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies, NexCycle Plastics Inc., Stepan Co., Fielding Chemical Technologies Inc., NOVA Chemical Corp., Polycorp Ltd., and Pressure Chemical Co.

For further information about Agilent , view website: www.agilent.com  Refer to next page