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Asylum Research Installs Dual AFMs at University of Melbourne, Australia August 26, 2010 - Asylum Research, the technology leader in scanning probe/atomic force microscopy (AFM/SPM), announced today that it has delivered a dual system order for a Cypher™ AFM and an MFP-3D-BIO™ AFM to the University of Melbourne’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Dr. Raymond Dagastine’s group will use the Asylum AFMs to develop nano-scale experiments and theories to measure and predict interactions, collisions, and coalescence between droplets and bubbles that underpin innovative applications of foams and emulsions and other soft matter materials. The approach provides a “front seat” view of how drops or bubbles collide in solution and how the physical mechanisms are dependent on the types of molecules coating their interfaces. Dr. Dagastine commented, “We chose the combination of the Asylum MFP-3D and Cypher AFMs for their visionary design and stability, the cross compatibility of the software, and the ease of implementing specialized user controls and inputs. This coupled with Asylum’s superior technical support makes the MFD-3D-BIO and Cypher the ideal combination of instruments for high-end research and surface characterization on the nano-scale. These outstanding AFMs will allow us an unprecedented opportunity to visualize the interactions and surfaces in soft matter materials through high resolution imagining on the nano to molecular scale, as well as cutting edge force measurements on the nano-scale with integration of a variety of optical characterization methods.” Shane Huntington of The Innovation Group, Asylum’s representative in Australia for over a decade, commented, “As a company made up of AFM researchers, we are excited to be working with distinguished users such as Dr. Dagastine. We offer collaboration with our customers on the details of their research and stand ready with long-term service and support. The Innovation Group has installed more AFM systems in Australia than the current reps of all other AFM companies combined.” Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Asylum Research Receive Microscopy Today Innovation Award for New Band Excitation SPM Technology August 13, 2010 - Asylum Research, the technology leader in scanning probe and atomic force microscopy, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have just received the prestigious Microscopy Today Innovation Award for the development of Band Excitation (BE), a new breakthrough scanning probe microscopy (SPM) technology. Band excitation allows more rapid probing of energy dissipation at the nanoscale than previously possible, enabling scientists to characterize a sample’s electrical, magnetic, and mechanical energy conversion and dissipation properties at standard imaging rates. “We’re extremely excited to have won this prestigious award,” said Roger Proksch, President of Asylum Research. “Our collaboration with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory has put forth many new cutting-edge developments in the field of SPM, including the Piezo Force Module and Switching Spectroscopy PFM. The Band Excitation method presents a fundamentally new method for data acquisition and processing in SPM. Asylum Research and our collaborators continue to lead the industry with technical innovation as confirmed by this award.” “We believe Band Excitation will be the harbinger of a new family of SPMs,” said Dr. Sergei Kalinin, co-inventor and researcher at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) at ORNL. “This method provides an alternative to well-known lock-in-based detection methods, and can revolutionize this field by providing the potential for quantitative and artifact-free dissipation imaging. We are looking forward to developing new applications for BE through our partnership with Asylum Research.” "This award acknowledges the important step forward that this technique represents and signals where the field of microscopy can and will go in the future," noted Dr. Stephen Jesse, another co-inventor from the CNMS. "The speed and flexibility of the latest generation of Asylum SPM controllers permit the fine tuning and fast acquisition of data streams needed to take us from mere imaging to an arena of information-rich insight into cantilever-surface interactions and material functionality."
Band Excitation captures the full tip dynamics during a scan, and therefore let’s you see the transfer function or ‘cantilever tune’ everywhere. From this information one can see maps of dissipation and non-linearities directly. Shown is a 15X15 micron BE acoustic force microscopy scan of a polymer blend from which the Q-factor has been extracted. A clear contrast can be seen between the different constituent materials. Also shown are the average transfer functions over the regions indicated by blue and red dots on the map. The ability to capture tip motion in greater detail makes nanoscale measurements of material properties possible. About Oak Ridge National Laboratory Ztherm™ Modulated Thermal Analysis Wins 2010 R&D100 Award July 13, 2010 – Asylum Research, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and R&D Magazine have announced that the new Ztherm Modulated Local Thermal Analysis Option for Asylum’s MFP-3D™ and Cypher™ Atomic Force Microscopes (AFMs) has been awarded the R&D100 Award for 2010. Ztherm provides highly localized heating with sensitivity to ≤10-22 liter (sub-zeptoliter) materials property changes, more than an order of magnitude improvement in volume over that previously available with commercial systems. A standing problem with existing AFM-based thermal analysis systems is thermally induced bending of the cantilever that results in spurious deflection signals and variable loads being applied during heating. Asylum and ORNL have developed a patent-pending cantilever compensation and control solution that corrects this problem, providing constant-load detection of thermally induced melting (Tm), phase transitions (Tg) and other morphological and compliance effects for materials studies and material identification – with 10nm spatial resolution and ultimately at the single molecule level. The R&D100 Award will be presented to the Asylum Research/ORNL team at the awards banquet in Orlando in November 2010. “The recent results I’ve seen from Asylum’s Ztherm Modulated Thermal Analysis are the highest resolution thermal measurements by anyone to date. Truly impressive,” commented Dr. William King, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. In addition to standard thermal analysis capabilities, the Ztherm package can also be used to evaluate contact stiffness and dissipation as a function of temperature with advanced techniques such Dual AC Resonance Tracking (DART) and Band Excitation (BE). The contact stiffness and dissipation – measured at the cantilever resonance – are much more sensitive to temperature dependent properties, including surface melting and transition temperatures, than static deflection of the probe as is conventionally measured in AFM. In addition, integrated piezo actuation allows high resolution AC imaging of samples for surface topographical mapping before and after thermal measurements. Dr. Roger Proksch, Asylum Research President commented, “Our new Ztherm option is the most powerful thermal analysis package on the market today, with sensitivity, resolution and capabilities beyond anything else available. We believe Ztherm will enhance existing research avenues and open up new directions for analysis of thermal effects and material identification on scales previously impossible.” Said Dr. Maxim Nikiforov of ORNL, “Ztherm’s unprecedented resolution opens new horizons for the development of new types of plastics, as well as better understanding of failure mechanisms for existing materials. It has already proven useful for many types of materials ranging from bio-polymers to electrically-active polymers, and is applicable across many industries, including healthcare, energy materials, construction materials and others.” Added Dr. Jason Cleveland, Asylum Research CEO, “For the third year in a row, our research and development efforts have been validated by the R&D100 Award. We are proud and gratified to have been acknowledged once again for our technology leadership in scanning probe and atomic force microscopy.”
Heat interrogation of polymers: from nanoscale to macroscale
The winning of an R&D100 Award provides a mark of excellence known to industry, government, and academia as proof that the product is one of the most innovative of the year. Winners are selected by an independent judging panel of technology experts and editors of R&D Magazine. Since its founding in 1959 as Industrial Research, R&D Magazine has served research scientists, engineers and technical staff at laboratories around the world, providing timely, informative news and useful technical articles that broaden readers’ knowledge of the research and development industry. R&D Magazine is a publication of Advantage Business Media (www.advantagebusinessmedia.com). Since 1963, the R&D 100 Awards have identified revolutionary technologies newly introduced to the market. Many of these have become household names, helping shape everyday life for many Americans. These include the flashcube (1965), the automated teller machine (1973), the halogen lamp (1974), the fax machine (1975), the liquid crystal display (1980), the printer (1986), the Kodak Photo CD (1991), the Nicoderm antismoking patch (1992), Taxol anticancer drug (1993), lab on a chip (1996), and HDTV (1998). Int’l Workshop for Scanning Probe Microscopy for Energy Applications – Call for Abstracts
Detailed information on abstract submission, agenda, etc. can be found at www.asylumresearch.com/Energy. Abstracts can be submitted on the following topics (but are not limited to):
Asylum Research Installs First Cypher AFM in Mexico – AFM Seminar at ININ July 19-22 June 24, 2010 – Asylum Research, the technology leader in scanning probe/atomic force microscopy (AFM/SPM), announces that it has installed the first Cypher AFM in Mexico at the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ) facility in Salazar. The system was installed by personnel from Micra Nanotecnologia and Asylum Research in the lab of Dr. Manuel Espinosa at ININ. Dr. Espinosa’s group will use Cypher to investigate new materials, and to study archeological materials and art restoration processes. This work will include internal projects as well as collaboration projects with other national research institutes and universities. ININ, Asociación Mexicana de Microscopía, Micra Nanotecnologia and Asylum Research are also co-sponsoring a Mexico Atomic Force Microscopy Seminar at ININ’s Ocoyoacac facility, July 19-22. Agenda and registration information can be found here. Micra Nanotecnologia invites existing and prospective AFM users to attend the Seminar and/or to contact them for more information or a Cypher demonstration (Carlos Segovia, +52 (55) 8502-5000, csegovia@micra.com.mx). Carlos Segovia, President of Micra Nanotecnologia, Asylum’s representative in Mexico, Argentina, and Central America, commented, “We are excited about our first Cypher installation in Mexico, and Dr. Espinosa is especially gratified since his new Cypher is also the first AFM at the ININ. We welcome everyone interested in AFM to attend our Seminar at ININ to learn more about AFM and to see Cypher in action.” Added Dr. Espinosa of ININ, “Our new Cypher AFM is the first one of its kind in Mexico. This instrument is being applied in the study of surface measurements of nanomaterials like nanocatalysts, nanotubes, metallic nanowires, bimetallic nanoparticles, ionic crystals doped with rare earths, thin films, hybrid materials, biological surfaces, as well as the analysis of cultural heritage. The Cypher AFM will bring new possibilities in our scientific group to study materials surfaces in the nanoworld.”
Shown with the Cypher AFM system, left to right: Dr. Gilberto Mondragon-Galicia (ININ), Ing. Pavel Lopez (ININ), Ing. Carlos Segovia (Micra Nanotecnologia), Dr. Manuel Espinosa (Head of the Laboratory at the ININ), Ing. Miguel Urbano (Micra Nanotecnologia), Cristian Urrutia (Micra Nanotecnologia), and Amir Moshar (Asylum Research).
Asylum Research Introduces New OnLine AFM/SPM Probe Store and Free Summer Kickoff Offer June 9, 2010 – Asylum Research, the technology leader in scanning probe/atomic force microscopy (AFM/SPM), announces that its new automated AFM/SPM Probe Store is now online. The probe store provides simple search, sort, selection, quotation and purchase for a wide variety of different probes. Probe sort/search can be performed in seconds by application (e.g. biology, force measurements, electrical probing, steep sidewalls etc), type (e.g. contact, AC/tapping, coating, length), length, frequency, tip radius, composition/material, spring constant and more. Asylum’s Probe Store offers hundreds of different probe types for every application, including Asylum’s own line of probes as well as probes manufactured by Olympus, NanoWorld, Nanosensors, and SmartTip. Detailed description, specifications, and SEM images of each probe are provided. The Store can be found here or from the Probes menu selection on our main dropdown menu. Asylum is also offering a Summer Kickoff Special: Through August 31, online Probe Store purchases (not including tax/shipping) will earn a free pack of tapping/AC mode probes: • $200 - $999: earns FREE 2-pack of tapping/AC mode probes Hector Cavazos, Probe Manager at Asylum Research, commented, “We are pleased to offer this exciting new service to our customers to meet their imaging and measurement needs. Although we have offered AFM probes for some time, the new Probe Store provides a simple and fast interface for proper probe selection, quotation and direct ordering. We encourage our AFM customers, as well as researchers using other systems to browse our site and take advantage of our Kickoff Special." Asylum Research/ORNL Band Excitation SPM Technique Reveals Unique Properties of Nanoscale Materials May 13, 2010 - The revolutionary new Band Excitation (BE) technique, co-developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Asylum Research, has provided clues to the origins of unique properties of materials including spin and cluster glasses, phase-separated oxides, polycrystalline ferroelectrics, and ferromagnets, that are rooted in their highly disordered structures. These behaviors influence the scaling properties of the materials, including the thickness of thin films at which improved properties manifest. So-called "Rayleigh behaviors" have a direct bearing on the properties of nanoscale materials and, eventually, the uniformity of nanoscale devices. The new observations, which were made possible by advances in scanning probe microscopy (SPM) at ORNL's Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences and Asylum Research, may result in the rethinking of 100-year-old theories behind the "quanta of nonlinearity" and properties of heterogeneous materials. This work is funded by the Department of Energy’s Basic Energy Sciences CNMS user program. The principal investigators for this ground-breaking work are Stephen Jesse and Sergei Kalinin of ORNL, and Susan Trolier-McKinstry from Penn State. The findings were recently published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), April 20, 2010 entitled “Collective dynamics underpins Rayleigh behavior in disordered polycrystalline ferroelectrics.” Sergei Kalinin of ORNL commented, “The nonlinear responses are a ubiquitous aspect of disordered materials that is directly linked to their unique functional properties. Our studies illustrate that the emergence of the nonlinear behavior is associated with large-scale collective responses, providing new clues to century-old problems.” Added Roger Proksch, President of Asylum Research, "The amazing aspect of BE measurements is that the local nonlinearity is measured quantitatively with less than 10% absolute error in volumes millions of times smaller than those addressable by macroscopic measurements. This is highly unusual for SPM."
Spatial maps of non-linearity for different film thicknesses (thicknesses shown across top). The onset of nonlinearity with thickness proceeds through formation and merger of clearly visible micron-scale clusters with bulk nonlinearity value, as opposed to gradual increase of average nonlinearity.
Asylum Research Offers New Solar Application Note by Ginger Group March 30, 2010 - Asylum Research, the technology leader in scanning probe/atomic force microscopy (AFM/SPM) announces a new application note by the Ginger group at the University of Washington, focusing on their work on Organic Photovoltaics (OPVs). The application note is entitled “New Scanning Probe Techniques for Analyzing Organic Photovoltaic Materials and Devices,” by Rajiv Giridharagopal, Guozheng Shao, Chris Groves, and David S. Ginger, Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle. All work for the application note was performed using an MFP-3D-BIO™ Atomic Force Microscope from Asylum Research. The note reviews the instrumental issues associated with the application of scanning probe microscopy techniques, such as photoconductive atomic force microscopy and time-resolved electrostatic force microscopy, which have been shown to be useful in the study of nanostructured organic solar cells. These techniques offer unique insight into the underlying heterogeneity of OPV devices and provide a nanoscale basis for understanding how morphology directly affects OPV operation and efficiency. The note is available on request from Asylum Research and can also be downloaded at here. "The customizability of the MFP-3D and Asylum's support were critical to the success of the experiments that got me tenure," said co-author and Group Leader, David Ginger. “This note summarizes the instrumental side of our work to date and, in particular, describes some of the new SPM techniques that have been proven to be very useful in evaluating OPV materials.”
March 23, 2010 - The Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Asylum Research, the technology leader in scanning probe/atomic force microscopy (SPM/AFM), are co-organizing the International Workshop for Scanning Probe Microscopy for Energy Applications, to be held at ORNL September 15-17, 2010. This workshop of invited and contributed talks will cover the recent advances in characterization of energy-relevant materials systems using SPM/AFM techniques, as well as the state of the art in energy dissipation and transformation measurements by SPM/AFM. The three-day meeting will also include a poster session, as well as an equipment lab and hands-on tutorials for demonstration of recently developed dynamic and multi-spectral SPM/AFM modes on Asylum’s Cypher™ and MFP-3D™ SPM/AFMs. The keynote talk will be on “Local Probing of Carrier Dynamics in Polymer Photovoltaic Materials” by David Ginger of the University of Washington. Detailed information on the agenda, presentations, and registration can be found at here. Major topics to be covered include: “Energy generation, storage, and conversion systems are an integral component of emerging green technologies, including solar power, automotive, and storage components of solar and wind energy economics. The microscopic mechanisms underpinning solar cell, battery and fuel cell operations in the nanometer to micron range are currently not well understood. This workshop is designed to bring together leading scientists in these energy applications of SPM/AFM to share their research and spur additional work to advance the field, said Roger Proksch, President of Asylum Research.Added Sergei Kalinin of ORNL’s Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, “Ultimately, our goal is to build a network of materials scientists centered on the applications of SPM for energy problems and to promote rapid dissemination of theoretical knowledge, experimental protocols, and novel technique development in this rapidly growing area. This workshop is a major first step toward our goals.” About the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Asylum Research and LENS Invited to Demonstrate MFP-3D AFM at World Future Energy Summit, Abu Dhabi March 18, 2010 - Asylum Research, the technology leader in scanning probe/atomic force microscopy (AFM/SPM), in collaboration with LENS (Laboratory for Energy and Nano Science), MASDAR Institute of Science and Technology, was recently invited to showcase the MFP-3D™ AFM at the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2010 in Abu Dhabi. The WFES is the most important meeting of its kind for discussion of world future energy needs and solutions. The event was attended by government officials, industry leaders, policy makers, investors, activists, and scientists from more than 130 countries where they discussed the challenges of rising energy demands and viewed new technologies that will help to achieve a cleaner and more sustainable future. The MFP-3D took center stage at the MASDAR Institute booth where attendees to the conference were able to see the AFM in action and discover the wide range of AFM applications for alternative/renewable energy applications. Asylum Research UK Applications Scientist, Dr. Mick Phillips, in charge of the AFM during the conference, commented: “The Atomic Force Microscope will be pivotal in the area of alternative/renewable energy research in the coming years, not only for characterising surface morphologies of these novel materials, but also to provide information as to the efficiency and viability of the materials via new electrical characterization techniques available on the MFP-3D.” Added Dr. Matteo Chiesa, Head of LENS at the MASDAR Institute of Science and Technology, “We are proud to attend the World Future Energy Summit 2010 here in Abu Dhabi. The research we are carrying out at LENS is critical to the development of new materials that will meet the challenge of rising energy demands and allow for more efficient energy production. The MFP-3D AFM allows us to carry out some of the most advanced research necessary to assess the properties of the energy harvesting materials produced at LENS and our collaboration with Asylum Research is vital for pursuing our goals in the field.” Asylum Research Announces Grant Awardees for its Band Excitation Technique March 15, 2010 – Asylum Research, the technology leader in Scanning Probe and Atomic Force Microscopy (SPM/AFM), has announced eight new grants for early adopters to explore the capabilities and applications of the unique new Band Excitation (BE) technique. The R&D100 Award-winning BE method is a fast and sensitive technique that allows mapping of conservative interactions, nonlinearities, and energy dissipation of materials on the nanoscale, and shows great promise for understanding and mitigating energy losses in magnetic, electrical, and electromechanical processes and technologies. Grants valued at up to $50,000 USD per grant have been awarded to:
“We at Asylum Research, along with BE inventors Stephen Jesse and Sergei Kalinin at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), are excited about the quality of the proposals submitted for our grant program. In particular, we are excited about the increase in application areas. BE was born to improve piezoresponse force microscopy, but has spread to very diverse areas from polymers, to biology and battery technology. We look forward to working closely with this excellent group of researchers to advance the BE technique and its applications,” said Roger Proksch, Asylum Research President. For more information on the Band Excitation technique and grants, click here. Asylum Research Offers AFM in Biology Class April 28-30, 2010 March 1, 2010 – Asylum Research, the technology leader in scanning probe/atomic force microscopy (AFM/SPM) announces its AFM in Biology Class to be held April 28-30 in Santa Barbara, California. The class is open to all Atomic Force Microscopy users that want to increase their knowledge of AFM in biology and life sciences. This world-renowned class, now in its 11th session, combines lecture with hands-on sessions for personal instruction and interaction with the Asylum technical staff. “We cover all the essential AFM topics that biologists need and want to learn about — from sample preparation to advanced imaging and force measurements,” said Sophia Hohlbauch, Applications Scientist. “The breadth of AFM experience of our staff is unsurpassed -- both our President and CEO participate and class attendees have access to all of our scientific staff. The class is fun, with a good mix of lecture and equipment time.” Commented former student Dr. Xiaohui (Frank) Zhang, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, “It was such a wonderful experience at AR! Many thanks again for all the help and courtesy extended to me. I will for sure send my students to future Asylum Bio classes.” Added Yael Dror, Oxford University “You all did a remarkable job in all areas! I am especially grateful for your sincere willingness to help each of us and the time and energy you spent with me to help, explain, guide and think together about my results. But above all you shared with us your love of the AFM, which couldn’t possibly be ignored, and gave us an insight into a very special company.” The three day course is held twice a year. Topics include sample prep, force measurements, and imaging DNA, proteins, lipids and live cells. The Asylum Research MFP-3D™ AFM is used exclusively for the hands-on sessions. Class size is limited. A PDF of the registration form can be downloaded here.
Asylum Research Appoints Micra Nanotecnologia as AFM Distributor for Mexico, Central America, and Argentina February 18, 2010 – Asylum Research and Micra Nanotecnologia announced today that they have entered into a new distribution agreement that will enable Asylum to extend its global reach and promote its products in Latin America. Based in Mexico City, Micra Nanotecnologia, is the most experienced microscopy distributor in Latin America, with over two decades specializing in providing atomic force microscopes and other microscopy instrumentation. They will sell, install, and support Asylum’s complete line of scanning probe/atomic force microscopes, including the Cypher™ AFM and the MFP-3D™ Family of AFMs. Carlos Segovia, President of Micra Nanotecnologia, commented, “We are excited about our partnership with Asylum Research, the technology leader for atomic force and scanning probe microscopy. Many leading nanoscience researchers are located in Latin America and we look forward to working with them supporting Asylum’s products. The Cypher AFM is the most exciting and highest resolution AFM on the market, and the MFP-3D is the most versatile AFM available, especially with its biological accessories, instrumented NanoIndenter capability, and the new Ztherm™ thermal analysis option.” Added John Green, Asylum’s EVP for Sales, “Micra Nanotecnologia has had a long history of success in not only selling, but also effectively supporting microscopy instrumentation. They are an excellent partner for us and we anticipate a long and mutually beneficial relationship that will further increase our market share and user base across Latin America.” Asylum Research Sets Annual and Quarterly Sales Records January 19, 2010 – Asylum Research, the technology leader for atomic force and scanning probe microscopy (AFM/SPM), announced today that it set new records for both orders and shipments in its fourth quarter and for the 2009 calendar year. The fourth quarter results exceeded Asylum’s record 2009 third quarter, where orders were more than half again greater than the Company’s previous record quarter. Orders and shipments for the fourth quarter and year were a near equal combination of the recently introduced Cypher™ system, the world’s highest resolution AFM, the MFP-3D-BIO™ AFM, which mounts on an inverted optical microscope platform for the biosciences, and the versatile MFP-3D™ Stand Alone AFM for physical and materials science applications. Commented Dr. Jason Cleveland, Asylum Research CEO, “Last year represents a tremendous achievement and I want to again thank everyone in our worldwide organization for their effort. Our order and shipment results are indicative of the quality and performance of our existing and new products – not to mention the legendary product and applications support our people provide. Instead of contenting ourselves with tweaking older products like other AFM companies, Asylum introduced the innovative new Cypher product line. Word continues to spread around the world that Asylum is the technology and support leader in scanning probe and atomic force microscopy.” Added John Green, Executive VP of Sales, “During 2009, we saw other AFM companies cutting key staff and downsizing, while we continued to flourish with our superior technology, unmatched performance, ability to demonstrate research solutions, and strong applications support. We have attracted a growing number of former users of other AFMs with our continuous flow of new products and techniques providing our customers with leading research capabilities while rapidly expanding our market share and global presence. Many thanks to all of our users who spread the word and continue to drive us and our instruments to be the best.” Asylum Research and Atomic Force F&E Offer First European AFM in Biology Class February 23-25, 2010 Dec. 18, 2009 – Atomic Force F&E and Asylum Research, the technology leader in scanning probe/atomic force microscopy (AFM/SPM) announce the first European AFM in Biology Class to be held February 23-25, 2010 at Atomic Force Corporate office in Mannheim, Germany. This world-renowned class, held at Asylum Research in Santa Barbara for the past six years, is open to all Atomic Force Microscopy users that want to increase their knowledge of AFM in biology and the life sciences. The class combines lecture with extensive hands-on sessions for personal instruction and interaction with the Asylum and Atomic Force technical staff. “We cover all the essential AFM topics that biologists need and want to learn about – from sample preparation to advanced imaging and force measurements,” said Dr. Irène Revenko, Applications Scientist and class director. “I am very excited to be teaching the lessons and experiments that we’ve done for so many years in Santa Barbara here in Europe at the Atomic Force facility. The class is fun, with a good mix of lecture and equipment time.” Commented previous class attendee Dr. Yael Dror of Oxford University, “You all did a remarkable job in all areas! I am especially grateful for your sincere willingness to help each of us and the time and energy you spent with me to help, explain, guide and think together about my results. But above all you shared with us your love of the AFM, which couldn’t possibly be ignored, and gave us an insight into a very special company.” This comprehensive three day course covers all major topics for AFM in biology, including sample prep, force measurements, and imaging DNA, proteins, lipids and live cells. The Asylum Research MFP-3D™ AFM is used exclusively for the hands-on sessions. Class size is limited. A PDF of the registration form can be downloaded from the Asylum Research web site at www.AsylumResearch.com/News/BioClassRegistration.pdf. Asylum Research Announces Grant Offering for its Band Excitation Technique November 17, 2009 – Asylum Research, the technology leader in Scanning Probe and Atomic Force Microscopy (SPM/AFM), has announced a new grant program for early adopters to explore the capabilities and applications of the unique new Band Excitation technique. Existing or new Asylum AFM users are encouraged to apply for grants valued at up to $50,000 USD. Additional information on grant submission content and procedures is provided at www.asylumresearch.com/grants. “The R&D 100 Award-winning Band Excitation (BE) technique has shown great promise in mapping the conservative interactions, nonlinearities, and energy dissipation of materials on the nanoscale,” said Roger Proksch, Asylum Research President and grants lead. “Stephen Jesse and Sergei Kalinin at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), collaborating with Asylum Research, have developed the BE system where a synthesized excitation signal probes the response of a cantilever at multiple frequencies simultaneously. This method is a fast and sensitive technique which may be useful for understanding and mitigating energy losses in magnetic, electrical, and electromechanical processes and technologies. We encourage new and existing AFM users to apply for the BE grants and to work closely with the Asylum team to blaze new trails with this exciting new technique.” Suggested grant topics include: “Classical scanning probe microscopies are based on the excitation and detection of single or, recently, dual frequencies. In doing so, the information on real tip-surface interactions manifested in the fine details of the resonance curve shape is not measured. Implementation of BE on multiple ambient and UHV systems at ORNL has allowed us to achieve several technical breakthroughs in mapping structure, magnetic and electrical dissipation, and electromechanical activity in ferroelectric, multiferroic, and biological systems in ambient, liquid, and vacuum environments,” commented Sergei Kalinin. Added Stephen Jesse, “Classical SPM offers basically a gray-scale image of cantilever dynamics at a single frequency. Band excitation opens a new and colorful multi-frequency view of the nanoworld that we can already explore, but are just starting to appreciate”.
Operational principle of the BE method in SPM. The excitation signal is digitally synthesized to have a predefined amplitude and phase in the given frequency window. The cantilever response is detected and Fourier transformed (FFT) at each pixel in an image. The ratio of the fast FFT of response and excitation signals yields the cantilever response (transfer function). Fitting the response to the simple harmonic oscillator yields amplitude, resonance frequency, and Q-factor that are plotted to yield 2D images, or used as feedback signals. Reprinted with permission (Nanotechnology 18 (43) (2007)).
Russian Scientific Delegation November 9, 2009 – Asylum Research, along with Intertech Corporation, Asylum’s representative for Russia, hosted a distinguished group of Russian scientists in late October to discuss the latest advances in AFM technology and nanotechnology. The scientists were from the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR, Dubna, Russia) and the Kurchatov Institute (Moscow, Russia) which are currently Russia’s leading nanotechnology research centers. Asylum presented information on fast scanning, nanoindenting, local thermal analysis, and AFM integration with optical microscopy, as well as recent advances in ease of use and other AFM topics. Asylum scientists also provided hands-on demonstrations of Asylum’s Cypher™ Atomic Force Microscope, the world’s highest resolution AFM, and the versatile MFP-3D™ Family of AFMs. The Russian scientists presented the status and goals of nanoscience and nanotechnology in Russia, as well as their own research on materials science, and cancer location and treatment using nanoparticles. The Russian delegation included: • Dr. Grigory Arzumanyan – Deputy Director, JINR, supervisor of joint CIS Nanocentre During their trip to the United States, the Russian group also visited the University of California at Santa Barbara, the University of Oregon, and the University of Buffalo. The US trip was sponsored by Intertech Corporation, which was represented by Timothy Kiernan, General Manager, and Alexander Shaforostov, Head of Surface Science. Asylum participants included application scientists Dr. Nick Geisse, Dr. Alejandro Bonilla, and Jason Li, EVP of Sales John Green, and CEO Dr. Jason Cleveland. Cypher™ Atomic Force Microscope Wins Frost & Sullivan Product Innovation Award for Asylum Research
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in industry. “Market reaction to the Cypher AFM has been phenomenal and, along with the continued success of our MFP-3D™ AFM family, has resulted in record sales results for Asylum Research. Following on Cypher’s R&D100 and Lab Equipment Awards, the Frost & Sullivan Award further validates our belief that the Cypher system outclasses and outperforms anything else on the market,” stated Dr. Roger Proksch, President of Asylum Research. Asylum Research Shatters Quarterly Sales Records, Sees First Stimulus Order Oct. 1, 2009 – Asylum Research, the technology leader for atomic force and scanning probe microscopy (AFM/SPM), announced today that it set new records for both orders and shipments in its third quarter. Orders were greater by more than 60% than the company’s previous record for a calendar quarter. These orders were a near equal combination of the recently introduced Cypher™ system, the world’s highest resolution AFM, the MFP-3D-BIO™ AFM, which mounts on an inverted optical microscope platform for the biosciences, and the versatile MFP-3D™ Standalone AFM for physical and materials science applications. Asylum also announced that it received its first order funded under a grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) from Purdue University. Asylum expects significant orders in Q4 and throughout 2010 due to the ARRA and other global economic stimulus programs. Commented Dr. Jason Cleveland, Asylum Research CEO, “Our third quarter was a tremendous achievement and I want to thank everyone in our worldwide organization for their excellent effort. With stimulus funds just beginning to flow, and our legion of users continuing to help us spread the word about our superior products and support, the future looks very bright indeed. This is an exciting time for Asylum Research.” Added John Green, Executive VP of Sales, “We’re seeing an overwhelming response to our new Cypher AFM, while our MFP-3D AFM family continues to outperform other instruments in its class. With the full impact of the US stimulus funds yet to be seen – and record numbers of pending quotes to high quality researchers – we’re expecting that our Q3 results are a harbinger of more records to come. Many thanks to our loyal users – and welcome to the Asylum family to our new customers!” See what our users are saying about Asylum Research here. Asylum Research and Atomic Force F&E Add France Representative for AFM/SPM
Dr. Revenko will be scheduling visits to laboratories and institutions in France and elsewhere, and attending and giving talks at conferences and meetings. If you will be attending meetings/conferences in France and other European locations, please visit the Atomic Force/Asylum Research booth and meet Irene. She will also be very interested in discussing biological applications and hearing your feedback on our MFP-3D™ and Cypher™ product lines. Ludger Weisser, Managing Director for Atomic Force F&E, commented, “We are extremely pleased to have Irène stationed in France. Her presence will increase our market visibility and better assist all of our existing customers in French speaking areas. Irene will also strengthen our application group in Europe, as well as the widely respected support provided by Atomic Force.” Dr. Revenko added, “Avoir une présence en France pour aider nos clients actuels est important. Cela nous permettra aussi de faire connaitre plus amplement notre technologie aux utilisateurs d’AFM. Ayant toujours travaillé avec les gens d’Atomic Force depuis mes débuts en industrie, cette intégration dans leur équipe est simple et confortable.” irene@AsylumResearch.com
Abu Dhabi Institute Chooses
Asylum September 1, 2009 – Asylum Research and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) announced today that the Institute’s Laboratory for Energy and Nano-Science (LENS) has acquired Asylum’s MFP-3D Stand Alone Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and instrumented NanoIndenter to perform research aimed at improving the efficiency of thermoelectric materials and developing non-destructive tools for thin film characterization of photovoltaics. The Institute is the dedicated to the research and development of sustainable energy solutions. The MFP-3D-SA is a state-of-the-art atomic force microscope that will be used for three-dimensional measurements of different solid state materials at the nanometer scale. The MFP NanoIndenter is a true instrumented indenter and will be used to investigate the mechanical properties of nanostructures and for a unique frequency-domain thermo-reflectance experiment for measuring the thermal properties of homogenous materials and sub-micron thin films. Commented Dr. Matteo Chiesa, Assistant Professor at the LENS, “After reviewing many instruments I chose the MFP-3D as the best AFM combined with the most elegant and simple-to-use nanoindentation tool. Asylum Research professionalism was a striking factor in choosing the right characterization tool. Asylum Research has shown a dynamic attitude in providing a complete solution for the needs of my laboratory, which is part of a new graduate university in a region where technical support can be very challenging.” Added Asylum Research CEO, Dr. Jason Cleveland, “We are proud that the MFP-3D has been selected by the Masdar Institute for Science and Technology, an exciting new research organization dedicated to the development of future energy solutions. We at Asylum Research are pleased to be a part of that research.” About the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology The Masdar Institute is the Middle East’s first graduate institution dedicated to tackling the most important challenge facing our planet today – the need to develop cutting edge and sustainable energy solutions that will ensure the economic growth and prosperity of all nations while preserving the environment for future generations. The Institute is the product of the enlightened leadership of Abu Dhabi, which has made a substantial commitment to transforming the UAE into one of the key knowledge economies in the world. Masdar Institute has a strong relationship with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which has collaborated on the creation of the curriculum. The relationship with MIT will play a key role in the Institute’s aim to become a world-class institution paving the way to a viable energy future for us all. The Masdar Institute is a key element of Masdar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Mubadala Development Company. The Masdar Institute will play a key role in engaging with the world’s leading organizations in the area of renewable and sustainable energy. The recent award to Abu Dhabi and Masdar City of the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency underpins the UAE’s commitment to this global challenge and provides the Institute with an unparalleled opportunity to participate in shaping energy policy that will determine the future of our planet. The Laboratory for Energy and Nano-Science (LENS) relies on the combination of unique experimental capabilities. One of the current research activities at LENS is aimed at improving the efficiency of thermoelectric materials, including understanding phonon distribution and developing material structures, e.g. nanowires, superlattices, and nanoscale precipitates that further reduce thermal conductivity below that achievable by alloying. Ongoing research has shown how nanoscale material interfaces hold the key to high-ZT thermoelectrics, and the need for improved understanding of transport across these interfaces in order to realize the full potential of thermoelectric technology. Mechanical characterization on different TE materials is also important to correlate TE transport properties with their mechanical properties in order to highlight valuable manufacturing paths. An in-depth understanding of this correlation is essential to the development of economically viable solutions that are not just based on trial and error. A second research topic of relevance at LENS is related to the development of non destructive investigation tools for the characterization of thin films of interest for the photovoltaic industry. Thin film density and porosity represent important parameters that correlate with many of the optical and transport properties of thin films. Unfortunately, reliable and accurate density measurements are challenging and for this reason LENS relies on its unique experimental facilities to develop accessible characterization methods that will facilitate the development of new large scale production processes. Asylum Research Appoints Intertech as AFM Distributor for Russia, Eurasia August 25, 2009 – Asylum Research and Intertech Corporation announced today that they have entered into a new distribution agreement that will enable Asylum to extend its global reach and promote its products in the Russian Federation, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Armenia, and Turkmenistan. Intertech, an American export and engineering company that specializes in providing analytical instrumentation and other products to the Former Soviet Union (FSU), will sell and support Asylum's complete line of atomic force/scanning probe microscopes, including the Cypher™ AFM and the MFP-3D™ Family of AFMs. Tim Kiernan, President of Intertech, commented, “We are excited about our partnership with Asylum Research, the technology leader for atomic force and scanning probe microscopy. A number of the world’s leading nanoscience researchers are located in Russia and the C.I.S. and we look forward to working with them supporting Asylum’s products. The Cypher AFM is the most exciting and highest resolution AFM on the market, and the MFP-3D is the most versatile AFM available, especially with its biological accessories, instrumented Nanoindenter capability, and the new Ztherm™ thermal analysis option.” Added John Green, Asylum’s EVP for Sales, “Intertech has had a great deal of success in selling and supporting a wide range of surface analytical instrumentation in the FSU and is an excellent partner for us. We anticipate a long and mutually beneficial relationship that will broaden our reach and increase our user base across Europe and Asia.” Cypher™ Atomic Force Microscope Wins R&D100 Award for Asylum Research
The winning of an R&D100 Award provides a mark of excellence known to industry, government, and academia as proof that the product is one of the most innovative of the year. Winners are selected by an independent judging panel of technology experts and the editors of R&D Magazine. The R&D100 award will be presented to Asylum Research’s development team at an Awards Banquet in Orlando on November 12, 2009. Cypher has also been awarded Laboratory Equipment Magazine’s 2009 Reader’s Choice Award. “The R&D100 Awards honor the latest technology developments that are designed to meet societal, scientific, or business challenges facing us today – and tomorrow,” said Rita Peters, editorial director of R&D Magazine. Added Asylum Research CEO, Dr. Jason Cleveland, “We are proud to have been awarded the R&D100 Award, the most prestigious in the high-tech industry. We’ve listened carefully to our customers and believe that the Cypher AFM meets or exceeds their requirements for today and has the modularity and expandability to support their future needs as well. Asylum’s legendary support and applications team will continue to listen so that we can maintain our technology leadership into the future.” About R&D Magazine and the R&D100 Award Since its founding in 1959 as Industrial Research, R&D Magazine has served research scientists, engineers and technical staff at laboratories around the world, providing timely, informative news and useful technical articles that broaden readers’ knowledge of the research and development industry and improve the quality of their work. R&D Magazine is a publication of Advantage Business Media (www.advantagebusinessmedia.com). Since 1963, the R&D 100 Awards have identified revolutionary technologies newly introduced to the market. Many of these have become household names, helping shape everyday life for many Americans. These include the flashcube (1965), the automated teller machine (1973), the halogen lamp (1974), the fax machine (1975), the liquid crystal display (1980), the printer (1986), the Kodak Photo CD (1991), the Nicoderm antismoking patch (1992), Taxol anticancer drug (1993), lab on a chip (1996), and HDTV (1998). Asylum Research Sponsors First Taiwan AFM Bioworkshop at National Health Research Institutes July 30-31, 2009 June 25, 2009 – Asylum Research, in conjunction with the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI), will host the first Taiwan AFM Bioworkshop to be held July 30-31 at NHRI, Zhunan Campus, in Taiwan. The AFM Bioworkshop will combine talks from leading researchers and industry experts on AFM for life science applications, as well as instructional AFM demonstrations using Asylum Research’s MFP-3D™ AFM. Speakers include Hsien-Chang Chang of National Cheng Kung University, Shuchen Hsieh of National Sun Yat-sen University, and Ming-Long Yeh of National Cheng Kung University, Je-Wen Liou of Tzu Chi University, as well as Application Scientists Sophia Hohlbauch and Amir Moshar of Asylum Research. Topics covered include principles of AFM, biological imaging, force spectroscopy, integration of AFM and optical microscopy, sample preparation, application examples and future directions in AFM. The event is free to all researchers in the field of AFM. “We are very pleased to be working with Asylum Research in hosting the first Taiwan AFM Bioworkshop,” said Dr. Feng-Huei Lin, NHRI/National Taiwan University. “The instrument demonstration sessions will be invaluable for the attendees. It is a tremendous opportunity for them to learn tips and tricks from the experts.” “This is a great opportunity to exchange and share our AFM knowledge with some of the brightest researchers in this community,” commented Dr. David Beck, Asylum Research Vice President of Asia Pacific Region. “We are looking forward to our continued collaboration with such a prestigious group as NHRI.” Additional workshop information and registration can be found here http://www.AsylumResearch.com/Bioworkshop. About NHRI The National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) is a non-profit foundation established by the government with its organization charter created by an Act of Congress (Legislative Yuan) and signed in 1995 by President Teng-hui Lee. Being an autonomous research organization, NHRI is dedicated to the enhancement of medical research and the improvement of health care in this country. Additional information can be found at http://english.nhri.org.tw/.
London’s Natural History Museum Chooses Asylum Research MFP-3D™ AFM June 22, 2009 – Asylum Research and the Natural History Museum of London announced today that the Museum’s Mineralogy Department has acquired Asylum’s MFP-3D Stand Alone Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) to expand on their range of research tools to study nanomaterials. The focus of the research, led by Dr. Éva Valsami-Jones, is the evaluation of the fundamental physical and chemical properties of nanoparticles to assess how these properties change as particle size decreases, the links between natural minerals and manufactured nanoparticles, and the implications for human health, other organisms, and the natural world. Commented Dr. Valsami-Jones, “We chose Asylum’s MFP-3D AFM because we found it to be the most powerful and easy to use AFM available. It is the only system capable of imaging complex samples with very rough topographies at the nanoscale, and we were impressed by its excellent optics for locating areas of interest for AFM scanning. Sample loading and unloading and tip exchange are faster and more intuitive, and the post-data collection processing capabilities are clearly superior. We are excited about applying the MFP-3D to our nanotoxicology research initially and to other Museum studies in the near future.” Added Dr. Chris Mulcahy, Asylum UK Managing Director, “We are proud that the MFP-3D has been selected by the Natural History Museum, one of the most prestigious organizations in the world for scientific research of the natural world. Their research on the effects and potential toxicity of nanoparticles is a critical area of study for human and environmental health and we at Asylum Research are pleased to be a part of that research.” About the Natural History Museum The Natural History Museum is an international leader in the scientific study of the natural world. Gathering knowledge about nature for over 250 years, the Museum is one of the world’s premier institutions for naming, describing and classifying the living, fossil and mineral diversity on Earth. More than 300 scientists in the Museum’s five science departments promote understanding of the processes which have resulted in nature’s diversity, and develop knowledge that supports anticipation and management of the impact of human activity on the environment. They help to tackle a diverse range of global problems, such as threats to the Earth's biodiversity, the maintenance of delicate ecosystems, natural hazards, environmental pollution and disease. The Museum’s collections of 70 million animal, plant, mineral, rock and fossil specimens are vital resource for research and understanding of the natural world.
Asylum Research Introduces Ztherm™ Modulated Thermal Analysis with Sub-Zeptoliter Resolution June 15, 2009 – Asylum Research, the technology leader in Scanning Probe and Atomic Force Microscopy (SPM/AFM) has announced the new Ztherm Modulated Local Thermal Analysis Option for its MFP-3D™ and Cypher™ AFMs. Ztherm provides highly localized heating with sensitivity to ≤10-22 liter (sub-zeptoliter) materials property changes, more than an order of magnitude improvement in volume over that previously available with commercial systems. A standing problem with existing AFM-based thermal analysis systems is thermally induced bending of the cantilever that results in spurious deflection signals and variable loads being applied during heating. Asylum has developed a patent-pending cantilever compensation and control solution that corrects this problem, providing constant-load detection of thermally induced melting (Tm), phase transitions (Tg) and other morphological and compliance effects for materials studies and material identification – for areas less than 20nm x 20nm. In addition to standard thermal analysis capabilities, the Ztherm package can also be used to evaluate contact stiffness and dissipation as a function of temperature with advanced techniques such Dual AC Resonance Tracking (DART). The contact stiffness and dissipation – measured at the cantilever resonance – are much more sensitive to temperature dependent properties, including surface melting and transition temperatures, than conventional deflection-based measurements. In addition, integrated piezo actuation allows high resolution AC imaging of samples for surface topographical mapping before and after thermal measurements. The Ztherm option utilizes and includes Anasys Thermalever™ probes. Dr. Roger Proksch, Asylum Research President commented, “Our new Ztherm option is the most powerful thermal analysis package on the market today, with sensitivity, resolution and capabilities beyond anything else available. With the ability to be used in combination with our new DART technique, we believe Ztherm will enhance existing research avenues and open up new directions for analysis of thermal effects and material identification on scales previously impossible.” Dr. Mick Phillips Appointed as Applications Scientist for Asylum Research UK June 5, 2009 – As part of the ongoing expansion of its UK operations, AFM manufacturer Asylum Research has appointed Dr. Mick Phillips as Applications Scientist for Asylum Research UK. Dr. Phillips received his PhD in surface physics from the University of Nottingham. He carried out post-doctoral research in scanning probe microscopy and nanomechanics before taking up a post as Senior Research Scientist in the Nanoanalysis group at the UK's National Physical Laboratory. Dr. Phillips efforts will include demonstration and technical support for Asylum’s customers, as well as assisting customers with specialized experiments via Asylum’s open software environment. “We are very excited about adding Mick to our UK team,” said Dr. Chris Mulcahy, Managing Director of Asylum Research UK. “His extensive background in AFM and materials/biophysical research will be a great asset to Asylum in increasing our capabilities and bandwidth for servicing our customers." Dr. Phillips added, “I am very pleased to be joining the Asylum team and working with the most advanced AFMs on the planet, including the exciting new Cypher™ AFM." Asylum Research UK distributes and supports AFMs and accessories manufactured by Asylum Research. Asylum Research UK is located in the Bicester Innovation Centre in Oxfordshire. Asylum Research UK Expands Office to Bicester, Oxfordshire
Dr. Chris Mulcahy, Managing Director of Asylum Research UK said, “We are very excited about the move. The larger office and laboratory space will make room for our new Cypher AFM demo system. This new system will join the existing MFP-3D™ demo system. All in all, the new office will provide our customers with a more pleasant environment to see our AFM family in action.” Asylum President and co-founder Roger Proksch added, “This is a great move for our UK office. With the excellent response to our new Cypher AFM, we felt it was the right time for the UK operation to expand. The bigger premises will not only accommodate both the MFP-3D and Cypher AFM’s but will also provide room for additional staff.”
Asylum Research Introduces Enhanced Petri Dish Holder and Heater for its MFP-3D™ Atomic Force Microscope May 8, 2009 – Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) technology leader, Asylum Research, is introducing an enhanced Petri Dish Holder and Heater accessory for its MFP-3D AFMs. The Petri Dish Heater is designed for studies of living and fixed cells and other biological studies where heating in either an open or sealed environment at physiologically-relevant temperatures is desired. Most commercial Petri dishes are accommodated (both plastic and glass bottom) with diameters ranging from 30mm to 60mm and a selection of Petri dishes is included with the kit. The dish is magnetically clamped down for easy and fast sample exchange. Microscope slides can also be accommodated. Heating from ambient to 45°C is supported with high accuracy and stability and temperature data can be logged and saved with each acquired AFM image. The optimized mechanical design maintains the temperature variation in the liquid to less than 0.1°C over a 1cm diameter at the center of the dish. The full diameter of the Petri dish is held to within 0.5°C. This new product complements Asylum’s growing suite of environmental control products for the MFP-3D AFM platform, which also includes the BioHeater™ with heating up to 80°C, and the Closed Fluid Cell with 10 inlet and outlet ports for exchange of liquid or gas media while imaging. Descriptions of all environmental accessories for the MFP-3D are available under ‘Products’ at www.asylumresearch.com with links to data sheets on the individual products. Asylum Research Introduces Heating and Cooling Capabilities for its MFP-3D™ Atomic Force Microscope
Asylum Research Sponsors 2nd Euro Atomic Force Microscopy Forum at Technical University of Munich, July 1-3 2009 April 24, 2009 – Asylum Research, in conjunction with IMETUM, Nano Initiative Munich, and Atomic Force F&E, announces the 2nd Euro AFM Forum to be held at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Garching, Germany, July 1-3, 2009. The Euro AFM Forum is a conference for AFM researchers to share their cutting-edge research for both materials and life science applications. The Euro Forum will combine invited and contributed talks from leading European researchers as well as instructional workshops on AFM equipment. The workshops allow researchers to ask-an-expert and receive tips and advice which can be directly used in their own work. Workshop topics include cell imaging, imaging in liquids, force spectroscopy, electrical characterization and more. Researchers are encouraged to submit abstracts for talks and posters as well as images. Prizes will be awarded for best poster and image. Abstract and image submission deadline is June 1. Conference details, confirmed speakers, and registration can be found on the official conference site at http://www.atomicforce.de/Euro-AFM-Forum-2009.php “We are excited to co-host this conference since it will bring together many of the top AFM scientists that are doing such great research in this field. The topics and information conveyed will be useful for all AFMers, from novices to the most sophisticated researchers,” said Dr. Thorsten Hugel, Professor and Working Group Lead in Biophysics at the TUM. “The first Euro AFM Forum was a major success with close to 100 scientists attending and very positive comments from many attendees, especially regarding the workshops. Asylum Research wants to provide scientific solutions, not just instruments and the Euro AFM Forum is a cornerstone for our relationships with researchers and an important part of our mission to broaden the fields where AFM science is successful. Based on initial responses and our distinguished list of invited speakers, we expect this year’s event to be an even greater success,” commented Roland Goschke, Senior Applications Scientist, Atomic Force F&E. Download the PDF of the Euro AFM Forum first circular. AFM Technology Leader Asylum Research Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary April 7, 2009 – Asylum Research, the technology leader in atomic force and scanning probe microscopy (AFM/SPM) for both materials and bioscience applications, is celebrating its 10 year anniversary this week. Founded in 1999 to bring scientists superior AFM/SPM tools for their research, Asylum pioneered commercialization of picoNewton force spectroscopy, shipping its first product, the Molecular Force Probe (MFP™), within six months of its founding. Asylum has continued that leadership with the versatile MFP-3D™ family of AFMs and the new Cypher™ AFM, the world’s highest resolution AFM. Asylum is an employee-owned company dedicated to innovative instrumentation for nanoscience and nanotechnology, with over 250 years combined AFM/SPM experience from our scientists and engineers. Asylum is represented worldwide with direct offices in the USA, Germany, UK, Japan and China, with representatives and customers across the globe. Asylum offers the best customer-protection plan and lowest cost of ownership of any AFM company with its exclusive two-year, bumper-to-bumper warranty and six-month money-back guarantee. “Over the past ten years, Asylum Research has become synonymous with unrivaled technical advancement, invention, and customer support. We are proud of our long-term growth, stability and technical achievements. As we reflect back on the past decade, we especially thank our many users for their loyalty and confidence in our products and support. Our success is due in large part to them – something we will never forget,” said Asylum President and co-founder Roger Proksch. “Our focus on research and development has been a keystone of our company, and we will continue to work closely with customers and aggressively invest in ground-breaking new technologies as we enter our second decade. Asylum is dedicated to providing the most technically advanced AFMs for researchers who want to take their experiments to the next level,” added CEO and co-founder Jason Cleveland. Asylum Research Offers AFM in Biology Class June 3-5, 2009 March 11, 2009 – Asylum Research, the technology leader in scanning probe/atomic force microscopy (AFM/SPM) announces its AFM in Biology Class to be held June 3 to June 5, 2009 in Santa Barbara, California. The class is open to all Atomic Force Microscopy users that want to increase their knowledge of AFM in biology and life sciences. This world-renowned class, now in its tenth session, combines lecture with hands-on sessions for personal instruction and interaction with the Asylum technical staff. “We cover all the essential AFM topics that biologists need and want to learn about— from sample preparation to advanced imaging and force measurements,” said Dr. Irène Revenko, Applications Scientist and class director. “The breadth of AFM experience of our staff is unsurpassed -- both our President and CEO participate and class attendees have access to all of our scientific staff. The class is fun, with a good mix of lecture and equipment time.” Commented Dr. Yael Dror of Oxford University, Nov. 08 student, “I wanted to thank everyone deeply for the wonderful course you offered to us. You all did a remarkable job in all areas! The oral lectures were very enriching and fruitful and the workshops were very teaching and offered a variety of issues that contributed to all of us. I think that each one of us can implement and correlate things that have been taught during the workshops into our research – I surely can. It seems that everyone in your company was involved in this course and it was extraordinarily important that we have come to meet many people who were expert in their domain. I am especially grateful for your sincere willingness to help each of us and the time and energy you spent with me to help, explain, guide and think together about my results. But above all you shared with us your love of the AFM, which couldn’t possibly be ignored, and gave us an insight to a very special company.” The three day course is held twice a year. Topics include sample prep, force measurements, and imaging DNA, proteins, lipids and live cells. The Asylum Research MFP-3D AFM is used exclusively for the hands-on sessions. Class size is limited. A PDF of the registration packet can be downloaded from the Asylum Research web site. Asylum Research Adds AFM Industry’s First Two Year Warranty to its Exclusive 6-Month Guarantee March 2, 2009 – Asylum Research announced today that it has broadened its standard warranty coverage to two years, an atomic force/scanning probe microscope (AFM/SPM) industry first. The 2-year “bumper-to-bumper” warranty covers parts and labor on the entire AFM system for Asylum’s line of MFP-3D™ and Cypher AFMs™. In the unlikely event of a problem during normal usage, Asylum will repair the system at zero cost to the user. This new warranty coverage is in addition to Asylum’s exclusive 6-month no-questions-asked money-back guarantee, setting a new and higher standard for customer protection. Asylum also offers the fastest support turnaround in the industry, averaging less than eight working hour initial response time, less than 24 hour solution/diagnosis time, and less than 48 hour in-factory repair/replace time. Asylum offers the lowest cost of ownership of any AFM company, including lifetime hardware/software support at no charge, free software updates, and free OnSight online remote diagnosis. “We want our customers to know that when they purchase an MFP-3D or Cypher AFM that they become part of the Asylum family – with our assurance that we will take care of them with the best products and support available. We challenge our competition to match our 2-year warranty, our 6-month guarantee, and the quality and turnaround time of our product and applications support,” commented Jason Cleveland, Asylum CEO. Added Roger Proksch, Asylum President, “The suggestion for extending our warranty to two years came from our Support Group. They wanted to make a strong statement to our customers – and the entire industry – regarding our superior products and support. With our exceptional product reliability record, we can provide this additional product assurance to our customers with minimal impact to our bottom line.” Asylum Research Speakers Featured in Piezoresponse Session at MRS Spring Meeting February 9, 2009 – Asylum Research scientists will be presenting their recent work in Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM) at the upcoming MRS Spring Meeting, Session JJ, in San Francisco, CA on April 15-17, 2009. Asylum’s Dr. Roger Proksch will be co-instructor for a tutorial on April 15 on “Nanoscale Electromechanics and Piezoresponse Force Microscopy - Recent Advances and Applications to Ferroelectric and Biological Systems” with Drs. Alexei Gruverman (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) and William Brownell (Baylor College of Medicine). Dr. Proksch will also be presenting an invited paper entitled “Multifrequency Response and Dissipation Mapping in Active Materials” on April 16, followed by “Nanoindentation-based Piezoresponse Imaging and Strain-induced Modification of Ferroelectric Domains” presented by Dr. Alejandro Bonilla (with Keith Jones and Roger Proksch), also of Asylum Research. Session JJ is open to all MRS attendees and is chaired by Dr. Brownell, Dr. Sergei V. Kalinin (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), Dr. Anna N. Morozovska (National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine), and Dr. Nagarajan Valanoor (University of New South Wales). Advanced Piezoresponse Force Microscopy capabilities are offered on all Asylum Research AFMs, including the MFP-3D™ Series and the new Cypher™ AFM. A 24-page monograph on Piezoresponse Force Microscopy is available at no charge from Asylum Research and can be viewed at www.asylumresearch.com, see “Latest News.” Asylum Research Sponsors AFM Workshop at Georgia Tech Feb. 12-13 January 30, 2009 – Asylum Research will sponsor a free atomic force microscopy (AFM) Workshop on February 12 and 13, 2009 in the Pettit Building/Microelectronics Research Center (MiRC) on the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) campus. The Workshop will include three keynote talks by Georgia Tech researchers on Nanogenerators (Dr. Jinhui Song), on Heterogeneous Lipoprotein Assembly and Structure (Dr. Todd Sulchek), and on Microgels on Surfaces (Dr. Toni South). Asylum Research scientists Dr. Nick Geisse and Keith Jones will speak on AFM instrument technology and combined AFM and Optical Imaging. The first day of the workshop will include the talks described above, as well as an afternoon AFM demonstration session on the MFP-3D-BIO™ AFM. The second day of the workshop will continue with in-depth AFM applications demonstrations. Lunch will be provided on the 12th. The Workshop is open to all researchers and students; seating is limited and all attendees must pre-register. Asylum Research’s MFP NanoIndenter Wins AVS Product Award
Asylum Research President, Dr. Roger Proksch commented “Our MFP NanoIndenter offers clear advantages over both AFM-based and conventional nanoindenters and the AVS Product Award further validates our approach. The indenter is completely integrated with the AFM, providing the unique ability to quantify contact areas by performing AFM metrology of both the indenting tip and the resulting indentation. These direct measurements enable analysis of material properties with unprecedented accuracy relative to indirect calculation methods.” Asylum Research and ORNL Offer New Monograph on Piezoresponse Force Microscopy for Electromechanical Studies December 10, 2008 – Asylum Research and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have released a detailed 24-page monograph explaining the theory, functionality and applications of Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM). Electromechanical coupling is one of the fundamental natural mechanisms underlying the function of many inorganic and macromolecular materials and is ubiquitous in biological systems. The emergence of ferroelectric and multiferroic non-volatile memories and data storage devices has stimulated studies of electromechanically-active materials at the nanoscale, and PFM has emerged as the pre-eminent tool for nanoscale imaging, spectroscopy, and manipulation of these materials. In collaboration with ORNL, Asylum Research has advanced the technology of PFM, enabling very high sensitivity, high bias, and crosstalk-free measurements of piezoelectrics, ferroelectrics, multiferroics, and biological systems. PFM is implemented on Asylum’s family of AFMs, including the MFP-3D™ series and the new Cypher™ AFM. The system features unique spectroscopic imaging modes including switching spectroscopy PFM and band excitation PFM. The PFM monograph is available here. “Electromechanics and PFM are growing areas of research with studies ranging from data storage devices to MEMS to electromotor proteins and electrophysiology. This new monograph explains the use of special high voltage accessories and advanced imaging modes to measure piezoresponse, even for the weakest piezoelectric materials,” said Dr. Jason Cleveland, CEO and co-founder of Asylum Research. “We see great potential for advanced measurements in many different disciplines and it is our hope and expectation that this new monograph on the subject will stimulate interest in the use of PFM.” With PFM, a bias is applied to the AFM tip using proprietary electronics, a high voltage cantilever, and sample holder. The vertical and lateral response amplitude measures the local electromechanical activity of the surface, and the phase of the response yields information on the polarization direction. On Asylum AFMs, high probing voltages, up to +220 volts, can characterize even very weak piezo materials. Dual frequency resonance tracking and band excitation, effectively use resonance enhancement in PFM to provide new information on local response and energy dissipation which cannot be obtained by standard AFM scanning modes. These techniques allow independent measurement of amplitude, resonant frequency, and Q-factor of the cantilever and overcome limitations of traditional sinusoidal cantilever excitation. The use of a large frequency range (1kHz - 2MHz) allows imaging both at the static condition, and effective use of several cantilever resonances as well as use of the inertial stiffening of the cantilever. Polarization dynamics can also be studied with spectroscopy modes that include single-point hysteresis loop measurements and switching spectroscopy mapping. These modes provide local measure of such parameters as coercive and nucleation biases, imprint, remanent response, and work of switching (area within the hysteresis loop), for correlation with local microstructure. Combined with high-voltage, these allow local polarization switching to be probed even in high-coercivity materials such as electro-optical single crystals. Pioneering research on PFM is currently being conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory at the Materials Science and Technology Division and Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, in collaboration with Asylum Research. “The recent work that we have done in collaboration with Asylum is already producing ground-breaking results,” said Dr. Kalinin, Staff Scientist at ORNL. “The plethora of new and exciting electromechanical phenomena emerging on the nanoscale – from electric field induced phase transitions in ferroelectrics to electronic flexoelectricity and molecular electromotors – has been belied by the lack of capability to study them quantitatively and reproducibly. PFM is the technique that enables these studies. Eventually, the development of nanotechnology will require the capability not only to “think”, but to “act” on the nanoscale. PFM will pave the way for the understanding of electromechanical coupling mechanisms on the nanometer scale and development of the molecular electromechanical systems.”Asylum Research Introduces Cypher™ AFM, the Industry's First New Small Sample AFM/SPM in Over a Decade Santa Barbara, CA, Oct. 29, 2008 – Asylum Research, the technology leader in Atomic Force/Scanning Probe Microscopy (AFM/SPM), announced today that it is introducing the Cypher AFM, the industry’s first completely new small sample AFM/SPM in over a decade. Cypher is the world’s highest resolution AFM, providing more capability, more control, and more modularity with unprecedented ease of use. The Cypher AFM achieves closed loop atomic resolution using sensors in all three axes, combining the accuracy and control of closed loop with the power of atomic resolution for the most accurate images and measurements possible today. Additional capabilities include SpotOn™ automated laser alignment with a mouse-click, interchangeable light source modules that allow laser spot sizes down to 3um for broad application and scan mode flexibility, and support for high-speed AC imaging with cantilevers smaller than 10um. The system includes an integrated enclosure which provides acoustic and vibration isolation, as well as excellent thermal control for image and measurement stability. The Cypher AFM will be introduced at MRS in Boston, December 2-4, and at other events worldwide. “The new Cypher AFM is the result of years of engineering effort and sets the AFM/SPM bar to a new and much higher level. The entire system was designed from the ground up to provide superior capabilities and to generate the most accurate images and measurements possible. We believe the new Cypher system outclasses anything else on the market today and will help our customers generate new discoveries in the nano-scale materials and biological sciences,” stated Mario Viani PhD, Cypher Product Manager. Added Asylum President, Roger Proksch, “The AFM/SPM community has been waiting a long time for a next-generation system that goes beyond tweaks and add-ons to old technology. We’ve listened carefully to our customers and believe that the Cypher AFM meets or exceeds their requirements for today and has the modularity and expandability to support their future needs as well. Asylum’s legendary support and applications team will continue to listen so that we can maintain our technology leadership into the future.” Additional information can be found at CypherAFM.com. Asylum Research Sponsors AFM for Biosciences Events Santa Barbara, CA, Oct. 13, 2008 – In its continuing efforts to expand the usage and understanding of Atomic Force/Scanning Probe Microscopy (AFM/SPM) in the biological sciences, Asylum Research is sponsoring four events in the coming months. The events include:
Asylum Research Presents NanoIndenter Workshop at AVS Show Santa Barbara, CA, Oct. 12, 2008 – Asylum Research announced that it will present a session on its MFP NanoIndenter System at the AVS Conference and Exhibition in Boston, MA on October 21 at 12:20 in the Exhibitor Workshop area of the main exhibit hall. Asylum Application Scientist, Keith Jones, will present “Combining AFM and Instrumented Nanoindentation for Mechanical Characterization of Materials at the Nanoscale.” Unlike other cantilever-based indenting systems, the Asylum NanoIndenter drives the indenting tip perpendicular to the sample under study and provides true quantitative measurements. Because the depth and force are computed based on displacements measured with AFM sensors, the NanoIndenter delivers unprecedented resolution. The NanoIndenter is also the only commercially-available instrumented system that allows high-voltage piezoresponse microscopy measurements (PFM). The NanoIndenter can also operate under fluid and at temperatures up to 300C. Mr. Jones will discuss the NanoIndenter’s technology, capabilities, and operation, including current application examples. This free 20-minute workshop/presentation is available to all attendees of the Conference and no registration is required. Asylum Research Appoints Monteith Heaton as Executive Vice-President Santa Barbara, CA, September 25, 2008 – Small-tech veteran Monteith G. Heaton has recently joined Asylum Research as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Asylum’s line of atomic force and scanning probe microscopes (AFM/SPM). Mr. Heaton joins Asylum with over 25 years of marketing, sales, business, and technical management experience, most recently as VP Sales and Marketing for Innovative Micro Technology (IMT), where he was instrumental in building IMT into one of the world’s leading MEMS foundries. During most of the 1990’s, Mr. Heaton led marketing for Digital Instruments where he built DI into one of the most recognized and respected scientific instrument brands of that era. “Monte’s long experience in AFM and SPM and his breadth of leadership in business development, strategic marketing, sales and communications for high technology products will be a major asset to Asylum as we navigate this high-growth period for our company” commented Dr. Jason Cleveland, Asylum’s CEO. Added Mr. Heaton, “I’m excited to join Asylum Research, a stable and growing company in the nanotech field. Asylum’s people and products are widely recognized as the technological leaders in AFM/SPM. And, of course, Asylum’s focus on product and applications support is legendary in an industry where this is often not the case. I look forward to helping to grow Asylum to an even stronger market leadership position.” Mr. Heaton has also held senior management positions with Interstate Electronics, Dynamic Solutions, Millipore, Waters Chromatography and Veeco. Mr. Heaton holds a BS in Chemistry and an MS in Marine Chemistry and Environmental Science at the State University of New York/Stony Brook University. Asylum Research Settles Patent Dispute with Veeco August 11, 2008 (Santa Barbara, CA) Asylum Research Corporation, an employee-owned, premier manufacturer of atomic force microscopes, announced today that the patent litigation between it and Veeco Instruments Inc. (Nasdaq: VECO) which started in September 2003 has been settled. Under the terms of the settlement, Asylum and Veeco have agreed to drop all pending claims against each other and agreed to a five year, worldwide cross license of each other's patents and a mutual covenant not to sue on patents either party has a right to assert. Asylum will pay an initial license fee to Veeco plus an ongoing royalty for the five-year term of the cross license. As part of the settlement, Asylum acknowledged the validity of the Veeco patents asserted in the case. Other terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Jason Cleveland, CEO of Asylum, said "We are pleased that this litigation is in our past and that we can now move forward. Asylum spends a significant percentage of our revenues on research and development and that is reflected in our fast growing patent portfolio. The cross-licensing of portfolios will allow both us and Veeco to bring better products to market which is good news for customers." Roger Proksch, President of Asylum added "The nanotechnology market values innovation. Everyone in the field will welcome the end to this struggle because it allows us to return to doing what we do best-making great AFMS and supporting our loyal customers." Asylum Research was represented in the litigation by John Thornburgh, Seth Sproul, John M. Farrell, John Gartman, Linda Gunderson and Justin Barnes of the international law firm of Fish & Richardson PC. Asylum Research manufactures AFMs for nanoscale science and technology. For additional information, please contact Terry Mehr, Director of Marketing, Asylum Research, 6310 Hollister Avenue, Santa Barbara, CA 93117, 805-696-6466, terry@AsylumResearch.com, www.AsylumResearch.com. AFM Workshop Oct. 23-24 at Nancy Université Aug. 13, 2008 (Santa Barbara, CA) Asylum Research, Nancy-Université/CNRS, and Atomic Force F&E, announce the AFM Workshop “Biological Interfaces: From the Model Membrane to Microbial Cells” to be held at the Nancy-Université, France, Oct. 23-24, 2008. World-renowned AFM scientists will be speaking about their current work and trends in biological applications using AFM. The workshop will consist of invited and submitted talks, a poster session, and instrument education sessions. The workshop is open to all AFM researchers in the field. “This conference will bring together many of the top AFM scientists that are doing research in life sciences,” said Dr. Fabien Gaboriaud, CNRS researcher at the Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Microbiology for the Environment (LCPME). “The instrument education sessions conducted by Asylum Research and Atomic Force F&E will also give scientists a tremendous opportunity to learn about important new techniques that they can use in their research.” “LCPME is doing cutting-edge research in the field of probing the physico-chemical determinants of microbial interactions in biofilms and we are pleased to be teaming with them for the workshop. The meeting will also be useful for biological scientists looking to use AFM for a new research tool,” said Dr. Irène Revenko, applications scientist at Asylum Research. The event is co-sponsored by Nancy-Université and the CNRS, Atomic Force F&E, and Asylum Research. Instrument sessions will be conducted on the Asylum Research MFP-3D™AFM. Registration is limited. Conference details and registration can be found on the official conference site at www.atomicforce.de/Workshops.php. About Asylum Research About the LCPME at Nancy Université About Atomic Force F&E Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Asylum Research Receive R&D 100 Award for New Band Excitation SPM Technology July 9, 2008 (Santa Barbara, CA) Often referred to as the “Oscars of Invention,” Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Asylum Research have just received the prestigious 2008 R&D 100 award for the development of Band Excitation (BE), a new breakthrough scanning probe microscopy (SPM) technology. Band excitation allows more rapid probing of energy dissipation at the nanoscale than previously possible, enabling scientists to characterize a sample’s electrical, magnetic, and mechanical energy conversion and dissipation properties at standard imaging rates. “We’re extremely excited to have won this prestigious award,” said Roger Proksch, president of Asylum Research. "Our collaboration with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory has put forth many new cutting-edge developments in the field of SPM within the past year, including the Piezo Force Module (PFM) and Switching Spectroscopy PFM. Band excitation method presents a fundamentally new method for data acquisition and processing in SPM. Asylum Research and our collaborators continue to lead the industry with technical innovation as confirmed by this award.” “We believe Band Excitation will be the harbinger of a new family of SPMs,” said Dr. Sergei Kalinin, co-inventor and researcher at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) at ORNL. “This method provides an alternative to well-known lock-in-based detection methods, and can revolutionize this field by providing the potential for quantitative and artifact-free dissipation imaging. We are looking forward to developing new applications for BE through our partnership with Asylum Research.” "This award acknowledges the important step forward that this technique represents and signals where the field of microscopy can and will go in the near future," noted Dr. Stephen Jesse, another co-inventor from the CNMS. "The speed and flexibility of the latest generation of Asylum SPM controllers permit the fine tuning and fast acquisition of data streams needed to take us from mere imaging to an arena of information-rich insight into cantilever-surface interactions and material functionality." BE technology has been licensed to Asylum Research from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Using a BE controller and software, BE extends the capabilities of the MFP-3D™ Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) to map local energy dissipation through the determination of the Q-factor and the full transfer function of the cantilever-sample system. The applicability of SPM for mapping energy transformations and dissipation has previously been limited by the fundamental operation mechanism employed in nearly all conventional SPMs based on excitation and detection by a cantilever to the sample at one or two excitation frequencies. At the same time, energy dissipation detection requires measuring the width of the resonant peak of the cantilever, or Q-factor. The continuous sweep of excitation frequencies results in extremely large data acquisition times which are incompatible with imaging. BE overcomes this limitation by exciting and detecting the response at all frequencies simultaneously. In BE, a conventional sine wave is substituted by a synthesized digital signal that spans a continuous band of frequencies and monitors the response within the same frequency band. This allows ~100x improvement in data acquisition speed compared to currently available commercial technologies without decreasing the signal to noise ratio. A full response spectrum can then be collected in the amount of time required for obtaining a single pixel in standard SPM. BE will be an important technology in understanding energy dissipation in a diverse range of technologies such as electronics, information technology, and energy storage and transport, and more. Band Excitation is currently available for use with the Asylum Research Piezo Force Module for the MFP-3D AFM that allows high voltage, cross-talk free piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), and is planned to be incorporated as an integral part of next-generation Asylum Research controllers for topographic, magnetic, electrical, and other SPM imaging modalities. About Oak Ridge National Laboratory Procter and Gamble Select Asylum Research AFM for Consumer Product Research June 18, 2008 (Santa Barbara, CA) Asylum Research, a manufacturer of advanced atomic force microscopes (AFMs), has announced that Procter and Gamble (NYSE: PG) has recently purchased the MFP-3D™ AFM for use in their Surface Science Laboratory in Cincinnati, OH. The MFP-3D will be used for R&D on a wide variety of materials used in its consumer products. “We are extremely excited that the MFP-3D will be advancing research on consumer products that all of us use on an every day basis,” said John Green, Vice President of Asylum Research. “The Procter and Gamble name is synonymous with so many household products, from dish detergent to hair care items. There is a tremendous amount of science behind product development and we’re pleased to be part of that team that will advance these products.” The MFP-3D, outfitted with instrumented nanoindenting capabilities, will be used for a variety of applications to understand product characteristics consumers find relevant at the macro scale, but measurable at the micro-scale. “The MFP-3D offers the most advanced and comprehensive system for our numerous applications,” said Michael Mootz, AFM Leader and Principal Researcher within the P&G Surface Science Laboratory. “We simply could not perform all the experiments we are doing with any other instrument. And with the excellent support team at Asylum, we have a partner that we know will answer questions at a moment’s notice.” Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Gain®, Pringles®, Folgers®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Actonel®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, and Braun®. The P&G community consists of 138,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Asylum Research Atomic Force Microscope Featured in CSI: Miami Episode May 1, 2008 (Santa Barbara, CA) Aside from performing cutting edge research in nanotechnology, the Asylum Research MFP-3D AFM will be in the spotlight on the CBS hit television show CSI: Miami. The AFM will be featured in the episode 619 “Rock and a Hard Place” scheduled to air May 5, 2008. “I was really surprised when CSI: Miami producers called me to use our MFP-3D AFM,” said Terry Mehr, Director of Marketing. “Only days earlier, I had received an email from our VP of Asia Pacific telling me about a customer that was interested in doing forensics on our AFM and how great it would be to have our AFM on CSI. Then lo and behold, I get a call from the producers asking to use the equipment. It’s exciting to have our AFM featured in the episode.” While details of the CSI: Miami episode cannot be revealed, the MFP-3D AFM will be used as the forensic instrument of choice to procure information about a sample. New ARgyle Light ™ Software Application for Advanced 3D Rendering of Asylum Research AFM Images March 31, 2008 (Santa Barbara, CA) Asylum Research, a manufacturer of advanced atomic force microscopes (AFMs), announces ARgyle Light, a stand alone software application that allows advanced 3D rendering and data channel overlay in an easy-to-use interface. The application also allows users to easily share their image files outside the instrument’s IGOR Pro native operating environment. The application is exclusively for use with the MFP-3D™ AFM. “This stand alone application is an ideal tool for three dimensional rendering outside our normal instrument software,” said Bruce Wallace, developer of ARgyle Light. “ARgyle Light has all the advanced rendering capabilities found in the MFP-3D instrument software in an easy-to-use application. This tool allows images in our native file format to be shared amongst the scientific community for those that do not have access to the full installation of the instrument software. ” ARgyle Light is an OpenGL® application that easily installs on any Windows® 2000/XP/Vista-based computer. Once installed, users can open any Asylum Research data file that was created within the MFP-3D IGOR Pro environment. ARgyle Light will import all the channel data and parameters for offline image rendering and exporting. It has the same powerful rendering tools found in the native software for creating stunning AFM images with controls for scaling, viewing and lighting. The unique data channel overlay feature allows image data such as phase, amplitude or other channels to be overlaid on a second channel, such as the height, for data correlation. Viewing features include zoom capabilities, rotation, pitch and panning. Scaling of data for the Z axis includes range, offset and aspect ratio adjustment. Lighting and color capabilities provide spot lights, specular lighting controls, and all the color palettes that are available in the native version. In addition, image acquisition information can be viewed in a dialog box that lists all relevant scanning parameters. Stereo anaglyph support is provided to give the image depth projection for viewing with red/cyan 3D glasses. Images can be saved and exported in a variety of common graphic file formats such as TIFF, JPEG, PNG, or BMP. Specific channel data can also be exported in raw ASCII text for analysis in other third party software packages. ARgyle Light and MFP-3D are trademarks of Asylum Research. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. OpenGL is a registered trademark of SGI. Asylum Research Offers AFM in Biology Class April 30 to May 2, 2008 March 12, 2008 (Santa Barbara, CA) Asylum Research, a manufacturer of advanced atomic force microscopes (AFMs), announces its AFM in Biology Class which will be held April 30 to May 2, 2008 in Santa Barbara, California. The class is open to all Atomic Force Microscopy users that want to increase their knowledge of AFM in biology and life sciences. “We cover all the essential AFM topics that biologists need and want to learn about – from sample preparation to advanced imaging and force measurements,” said Dr. Irène Revenko, Applications Scientist and class director. “With our extensive hands-on sessions, biologists get a better understanding of operating the AFM. The class is fun, with a good mix of lecture and equipment time.” “This is one of the best AFM classes of its genre,” commented Dr. Bernard Lim, MD, PhD, Mayo Clinic. “There is almost a one to one ratio of instructor to student and one of the best features is the ample hands-on experience. Real experiments based on the problems participants brought to the course were conducted – very well organized.” The three day course, now in its eighth session, is held twice a year. Topics include force measurements, and imaging DNA, proteins, lipids and live cells. The Asylum Research MFP-3D AFM is used exclusively for the hands-on sessions. Class size is limited. Asylum Research Appoints New Managing Director for UK Office February 5, 2008 (Santa Barbara, CA) Asylum Research, a manufacturer of advanced atomic force microscopes (AFMs), has appointed Dr. Chris Mulcahy as Managing Director for Asylum Research UK. “We are very excited about adding Chris to our UK team”, said John Green, Vice President of Sales. “His extensive background in materials research and analysis will be a great asset to Asylum.” Dr. Mulcahy commented, “I am looking forward to working with some of the leading researchers in the AFM field. Asylum Research’s reputation as the technical leader in AFM innovation is unsurpassed and I’m very excited about joining the Asylum team.” Dr. Mulcahy received his PhD in surface physical chemistry from Imperial College London. He carried out post doctoral research in the field of organic molecular thin film growth. Prior to joining Asylum Research, Dr. Mulcahy held the position of Director of Sales and Marketing for Quantum Focus Instruments. Asylum Research UK distributes and supports AFMs and accessories manufactured by Asylum Research. Asylum Research UK is located in the Oxford Center for Innovation, Oxford. Asylum Research manufactures AFMs/ Scanning Probe Microscopes (SPM), for nanoscale science and technology. For additional information, please contact Terry Mehr, Director of Marketing, Asylum Research, 6310 Hollister Ave., Santa Barbara, CA 93117, 805-696-6466, terry@AsylumResearch.com, www.AsylumResearch.com. In the UK, contact Dr. Chris Mulcahy, Asylum Research UK, Oxford Center for Innovation, Mill Street, Oxford, OX2 0JX UK, phone 44 01865 812075, chris@asylumresearch.co.uk. |
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About R&D Magazine and the R&D100 Award 
October 12, 2009 – Asylum Research has announced that their 
Irène Revenko, MD/PhD, of Asylum Research, has been seconded to Asylum’s continental Europe distributor, Atomic Force F&E, as their representative in France for atomic force/scanning probe microscopy (AFM/SPM). Dr. Revenko will strengthen support for all French speaking users and potential customers of Atomic Force F&E. She has extensive knowledge and over 15 years experience with biological, medical, pharmaceutical and materials applications of AFM/SPM. Dr. Revenko is also an expert at sample prep for these applications, including imaging in fluid. 
July 20, 2009 – Asylum Research and R&D Magazine have announced that Asylum’s Cypher Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) has been awarded the R&D100 Award for 2009. Cypher is the first completely new small sample AFM/SPM in over a decade and is the world’s highest resolution AFM. The Cypher AFM achieves closed loop atomic resolution using sensors in all three axes, combining the accuracy and control of closed loop with atomic resolution for the most accurate images and measurements possible today. In addition to its superior capabilities for imaging and measurement, Cypher breaks down ease-of-use barriers with its exclusive point-and-click SpotOnTM automated laser and photodetector alignment. Additional unique capabilities include interchangeable light source modules that allow laser spot sizes down to 3um for broad application and scan mode flexibility, and support for high-speed AC imaging (>10x faster) with cantilevers smaller than 10um. The system also includes an integrated enclosure which provides acoustic and vibration isolation, as well as excellent thermal control for image and measurement stability. 
May 18, 2009 – Asylum Research announced today that its wholly owned UK subsidiary is moving and expanding its offices on 26th May. Asylum Research UK opened for business nearly three years ago and its successful growth has led to the need for more office space to accommodate staff and demonstration equipment, including the new 
April 28, 2009 – Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) technology leader, Asylum Research, announced it is introducing a new CoolerHeater accessory designed for biological and other studies where cooling and heating are required. The 
January 8, 2009 – AVS and Asylum Research have announced that Asylum’s 