Robert Cresanti, US under secretary of commerce for technology, has presented FEI with a special Recognition of Excellence in Innovation award for the Phenom tabletop scanning electron microscope
The recognition was accepted by Don Kania, FEI's president and chief executive officer, at the company's headquarters near Portland with more than 250 local employees attending the event.
Such recognition is given to local and regional innovators from throughout the United States who have introduced innovative products or services into the market within the last 12 months.
In February 2007, the FEI previewed the educational version of its newly-developed Phenom microscope, the world's first tabletop scanning electron microscope (SEM) designed specifically for education, to US Congressional members.
Magnifying up to 20,000x - or 20x the range of traditional optical microscopes - this technology will give students access to micro- and nanoscale worlds rarely seen in undergraduate and high school studies.
Citing that nanotechnology is expected to make a significant impact across industries in the competitive global economy, the Commerce Department's technology administration saluted FEI with the Recognition of Excellence in Innovation for "creating a remarkable tool that will bring a new teaching dimension to the classroom; foster interest in advanced science, technology, engineering and math education; inspire future scientists and innovators; and increase US competitiveness." "We are honoured to receive this recognition and excited by the prospects of the Phenom in both educational and industrials applications," commented Don Kania, president and CEO of FEI.
"We believe the Phenom will play an important role in supporting current public and private investment in nanotechnology by helping to train tomorrow's scientists and enabling today's commercial interests to discover, develop and build on the nanoscale".
The educational version of the Phenom is in the final stages of beta-testing at the Ohio State University, Jackson State University, the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Chemeketa Community College, Winona State University, and Portland State University.
It will be launched in the third quarter of this year.
A similar table-top SEM system, optimised for a wide range of industrial applications will also be released this year.
The development of the Phenom represents an important and highly successful collaboration between the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnology Institute (Onami), universities and FEI.
It was funded in part by a federal grant provided to Onami (Department of Energy Solar Energy Program under Award Number DE-FG36-06GO86073 and the Department of Energy Biological and Environmental Research under Award Number DE-FG02-06ER64248) and a European Union stimulus grant to FEI.
