New Product Announcement: The New PHI Genesis

phi genesis with Spectra Research Corporation

The New PHI Genesis

XPS and HAXPES combined in an automated multi-technology platform

SRC is pleased to announce the release in Canada of the new PHI Genesis from Physical Electronics. The new PHI Genesis—the latest generation of ULVAC-PHI’s highly successful multi-technique XPS product line—eliminates the need to compromise by combining PHI’s successful scanning XPS/HAXPES microprobe product lines into a single, compact instrument. This delivers the VersaProbe’s multi-technique capabilities with the Quantes/Quantera’s high throughput automated analysis. The new PHI Genesis represents a real breakthrough in XPS analysis.

Market for the PHI Genesis

A broad range of high-tech products are made of complex combinations of advanced materials designed to deliver superior performance across a range of metrics. R&D of these complex combinations of materials requires rapid optimization of the performance of each material, as well as the combinations of materials. There is a growing need for powerful and highly functional surface and interface analysis that can significantly accelerate this work.

XPS and HAXPES generate vital information that provides insights into the properties and behaviour of advanced materials. Other key tasks that XPS and HAXPES can deliver on include defect analysis and the testing of cleaning processes. XPS has an information depth of about 5nm while HAXPES has an information depth of about 15nm. Click Here to learn more.

 

New PHI Genesis areas of application

  • Semiconductors
  • Batteries
  • Organic devices
  • Catalysts
  • Quantum dots
  • Nanoparticles
  • Bio and life science materials
  • Polymers
  • Ceramics
  • Metals
  • Other solid materials and devices

Advantages of the new PHI Genesis

  • Simple, intuitive and easy-to-use user interface experience
  • With powerful XPS, HAXPES, UPS, LEIPS, REELS, AES and a variety of other options, it meets all your surface analysis needs
  • The unsurpassed 5 µm X-ray beam with a small spot opens up new possibilities for micro-XPS applications
  • High-throughput, high-performance depth profiling
  • Non-destructive depth profiling, sputter-free depth probing using a high-energy hard X-ray source that generates information from a greater depth than with conventional soft X-ray XPS

About Physical Electronics

Physical Electronics is a subsidiary of ULVAC-PHI, the world’s leading supplier of UHV surface analysis instrumentation used for the research and development of advanced materials. Fields of application for their products include: nanotechnology, microelectronics, photovoltaics, data storage, bio-materials and catalysis. PHI’s innovative XPS, AES and TOF-SIMS technologies provide customers with unique tools to solve challenging materials problems and accelerate the development of new materials and products. For more information on this product please click here.

Sensofar Event 22 – New Integrable Heads launch

We’d love to see you at Sensofar Event 22!

We believe that the future is built by listening to the needs of our users, as well as the market, to constantly improve what we do.
We have spent a while working on two new products for you, and they are finally ready to unveil at Sensofar Event 22:
the S mart 2 and the S neox Cleanroom.

We prepared an incredible event to show you the two new heads from our integration line! It will take place on November 16 in a completely virtual format to make it as easy as possible for you all to attend. It will be the perfect opportunity to hear first-hand all their technical features and capabilities.

Event Speakers

Understanding and Using High Magnification Inspection | Free Sensofar Webinar

September 28 @ 12:00 pm1:00 pm

Join CCAT and Sensofar for a free webinar about high magnification inspection of critical dimensions as well as surface finishes for additive manufacturing, medical devices, tribology and tooling applications.

We’ll explore the technology used for surface roughness measurements and dimensional measurements and also present solutions for key applications in aerospace and advanced manufacturing using optical metrology.

Target Audience
Metrology and Inspection, Aerospace and Additive Manufacturing Engineers 

Presenters
Adam Platteis, Sales Manager USA, Sensofar
David Morganson, Manufacturing Applications Engineer, CCAT

New Product: Raptor 3D Printer from 3DCeram Sinto Tiwari

Sinto Tiwari

 

Spectra Research Corporation (S.R.C.) is pleased to announce a new product offering, Raptor 3D Printer for Fused Filament Fabrication (F.F.F.) 3D printing for metals and ceramics. Earlier this year, Ceramic S.L.A. market leader 3DCeram Sinto became a significant shareholder of Tiwari Scientific Instruments, a German space and industrial research start-up. This acquisition led to their rebranding as 3DCeram Sinto Tiwari.
Raptor 3D

The Raptor 3D Printer, supplied by 3DCeram Sinto Tiwari, is suitable for the cost-effective production of ceramic and metal parts using F.F.F. The process uses specially fabricated bound metal or ceramic filaments shaped into your desired geometry. The printed parts may then be machined to include further details and improve the finish. They can then be heat-treated at high temperatures to eliminate the binder and sintered parts. The Raptor 3D printer yields metal and ceramic parts with a relative density of over 99%.

3DCeram Sinto Tiwari’s printers currently support metals including Copper, Stainless Steel (316L & 17-4PH), and Titanium (Ti6Al4V). The ceramics they support include Alumina (Al2O3), Silicon Carbide (SiC), Silicon Nitride (Si3N4), Tungsten Carbide-Cobalt (WC-Co), Zirconia (ZrO2) and Molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2).

This new acquisition aims for 3DCeram Sinto to offer to integrate the F.F.F. technology into their operations to work with some of the most advanced ceramic and metal materials. The purchase is part of a Sinto group development program titled Multi Advanced Technologies (M.A.T.), which intends to provide a new type of additive and intelligent manufacturing organized in digital networks. The program aims to respond to the imperatives of ecology, sustainable development, and precision by offering a new way of considering the production of parts. 

Contact Us

S.R.C. continues to offer our customers a range of innovative, high-quality scientific products and laboratory services throughout Canada for industrial and scientific markets. For more information about 3DCeram Sinto Tiwari or using their Raptor 3D Printer for metal and ceramics fabrication in manufacturing or R&D, please contact a member of our staff.

Find Spectra Research Co. Showcasing the NanoBrook Omni Particle Analyzer for Medicinal Cannabis at 2022 Expo Cannabis in Montreal

EXPO Cannabis 2022

Expo Cannabis Montreal is Canada’s largest industry trade show designed to inspire and ignite new business relationships between industry professionals working in all areas of the cannabis industry. The event will showcase exhibitors that work with the medical use of cannabis. Exhibitors include licensed growers, investors, and healthcare and wellness providers. This year’s event will take place on September 21st and 22nd.

SRC will be joining this year’s Cannabis expo as an exhibitor. The healthcare system in Canada has experienced notable changes in the past two years concerning the use of cannabis in treating health issues. This expo allows attendees to capitalize on innovations in this space. Exhibitors will showcase and share best practices and innovations to utilize cannabis to treat health issues such as chronic pain.

SRCs products cover various industrial, scientific research, and quality control applications from suppliers, including the pharmaceutical industry. This year, we are bringing a NanoBrook Omni particle analyzer from Brookhaven Instruments for demonstration. Brookhaven Instruments is a world leader in delivering state-of-the-art scientific instruments that use scattered light to measure zeta potential, particle size, and molecular weight. What does this have to do with cannabis? Extraction and quality control for pharmaceutical cannabis preparations.

For pharmaceutical manufacturers, the NanoBrook Omni particle size and zeta potential analyzer incorporate all you need for fast, routine, submicron measurements of size and zeta potential. Simply put, the NanoBrook Omni can be used to measure the physical properties of your cannabis medications to ensure suitable samples of CBD or THC particles for quick and easy absorption. Most measurements in the NanoBrook Omni are completed within two minutes. Its other capabilities include Phase Analysis Light Scattering (PALS) measurements for samples with low mobility, such as saline and organic solvents.

The NanoBrook is configurable to suit various particle characterization needs, including different combinations of sizing capabilities, zeta potential analyzer measurements, and molecular analysis. The zeta potential is simply a measurement of how stable particles in a suspension are. When manufacturing cannabis-infused medication, emulsion ensures that cannabinoids extracted from cannabis plants can be thoroughly mixed. This process can be used for tablets, syrups, or creams. The NanoBrook’s light scattering functionality detects particles of different sizes in a sample with high sensitivity. This is beneficial for ensuring ideal consistencies and stable formulation. Dynamic light scattering helps optimize cannabis emulsion stability to help extend the product and shelf life and improve the performance of medications.

Omni

Watch it work Live!

SRC will be at booth #716 at the 2022 Expo Cannabis Montreal with its supplier Brookhaven Instruments. You will get an onsite demonstration of the capabilities of the NanoBrook Omni particle analyzer and learn the benefits it offers to your cannabis and pharmaceutical manufacturing operations.

Register to attend the event or contact SRC at 905-890-0555 for more information.

New Product: Heidelberg Instruments’ MPO 100

Spectra Research Corporation (SRC) is pleased to announce a new product offering, MPO 100, A multi-user tool for 3D Lithography and 3D Microprinting from Heidelberg instruments.

 

Heidelberg instruments, an SRC supplier, is headquartered in Germany. They have been a world leader in developing and producing high-precision photolithography systems, maskless aligners, and nanofabrication tools for over 35 years. The MPO 100 is a Two-Photo Polymerization (TPP) multi-user tool for 3D Lithography and 3D Microprinting of microstructures with applications in Optics, Photonics, Mechanics, and Biomedical Engineering. It includes a powerful femtosecond laser system operating at a wavelength of 266nm, enabling efficient and high-speed processing of many commercially available systems. As many photoresists exhibit high sensitivity at the 266nm TPP wavelength, the MPO 100 is an ideal tool for research and development to produce new material systems.
SRC | 3D Lithography and Micro-Printing
Unique features of the MPO 100:
  • Printing height of over 1cm
  • Surface quality: smooth surfaces down to 10nm
  • High resolutions print: features sizes smaller than 100 nm
  • High-speed 3D microfabrication: Scan Speeds over 1000 mm/s
  • Temperature-controlled flow box to ± 0.1 °C with ISO4 environment
  • Application-specific write modes enable fast and easy switching between 3D Lithography and 3D Microprinting.
  • A synchronized scanning system enables stitching-free fabrication
  • Various exposure and write modes tailored to the specific applications
  • High-speed processing of ORMOCER®s (hybrid polymers) and other photoresists

The MPO 100 includes a powerful femtosecond laser system operating at a wavelength of 266 nm, enabling efficient and high-speed processing of many commercially available polymer systems.

The scanning system of the MPO 100 consists of high-performance, frictionless air-bearing stages synchronized with the high-speed galvo scanner. This enables a simultaneous movement of the sample and a deflection of the laser spot, thereby expanding the scan field (Field-of-View, FoV) of the microscope objective to the entire print area of 100 mm x 100 mm and thus providing the capability of stitching-free fabrication (infinite FoV).

Software

The MPO 100 includes the software package of LithoStream and LithoSoft3D as standard.

LithoStream is the MPO 100 control software. It provides unique features like printing time estimation, triangulation, process camera, alignment, print job creator, and application programming interface (API). Printing parameters can be saved into a database, and printing recipes can be loaded.

LithoSoft3D is code preparation software. It includes powerful modules to handle and process application-specific design formats such as stl- or bitmap files with advanced stitching options. Depending on the user‘s requirements, different trajectory models can be chosen, like a full volume scan, contour scan, or the combined contour hatch scan, as well as the LCON3D (real 3D Laser CONtouring).

About Heidelberg Instruments

Having over 35 years of experience and more than 1,200 systems installed worldwide, Heidelberg Instruments provides lithography solutions specifically tailored to meet all your micro- and Nanofabrication requirements, no matter how challenging.

To remain at the forefront of their industry, they continuously expand their vast knowledge in Micro- and Nanofabrication and work to advance their specialized engineering skills in mechanics, electronics, optics, and software. This combined unique expertise enables them to develop exclusive solutions that outperform conventional lithography machinery and empower customers.

Contact

SRC continues to offer our customers a range of innovative, high-quality scientific products and laboratory services for industrial and scientific marketing throughout Canada. For more information about the MPO 100 and how it can best serve your goals, we encourage you to reach out to a member of our staff.

Webinar Announcement: Recent Developments and Applications of Lab-based HAXPES Using the PHI Quantes Scanning XPS Microprobe

Lab-based HAXPES

 

Presented by Ben Schmidt, Ph.D., Senior Staff Scientist

July 14, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. CST

In this webinar, Ben will discuss recent developments on the PHI Quantes Scanning XPS/HAXPES Microprobe instrument, which utilizes both Al Ka (1486.6 eV) and Cr Ka (5414.8 eV) X-ray sources for XPS and HAXPES analysis, respectively. Significant advances have been made in developing sensitivity factors for quantitative HAXPES analysis, as well as software improvements for data collection and processing. Several application areas will be highlighted to show the advantage of the Cr X-ray source in analysis of battery materials, microelectronics, carbon-containing materials, and perovskites.

quantes webinar.png

SRC Suppliers Providing Vital Analytical Technology for R&D in the Pharmaceutical Industry

SRC suppliers are at the forefront of many key sectors of the economy, including the pharmaceutical industry. Today we look at technologies provided by WITec, a German company that has established itself as a market leader in the field of nano-analytical microscope systems, as well as by Physical Electronics, the world’s leading supplier of UHV surface analysis instrumentation.

Witec

Combining Confocal Raman Microscopy with techniques such as topographic Raman imaging and Atomic Force Microscopy

Development, production and quality control in the pharmaceutical industry requires efficient and reliable control mechanisms to ensure the safety and the therapeutic effect of the final products. Not surprisingly, these products can vary widely in composition and application, presenting challenges to pharmaceutical researchers. Several properties of pharmaceuticals can be difficult to study with conventional techniques because of their inability to be used to chemically differentiate materials with sufficient spatial resolution and without damage or staining. Therefore, methods of analysis that provide both comprehensive chemical characterization and the flexibility to adjust the method to the investigated specimen are preferred in pharmaceutical research.

Confocal Raman Microscopy

alpha300 R—the benchmark in Raman imaging systems

Confocal Raman Microscopy (CRM) is a well-established and widely used spectroscopic method for investigating the chemical composition of a sample. In pharmaceutical research CRM can be used to:

  • Probe the distribution of components within formulations;
  • Characterize the homogeneity of pharmaceutical samples;
  • Determine the state of drug substances and excipients; and
  • Characterize contaminants and foreign particulates.

The information obtained through the use of CRM is also invaluable for:

  • Drug substance design;
  • Development of solid and liquid formations; and
  • Process analytics and patent infringement and counterfeit analysis.
Picture3.png

Confocal 3D Raman volume image of a pharmaceutical emulsion

In pharmaceutical development it is of great importance to acquire information on drug composition and the distribution of chemical components. With confocal Raman images the distribution of the chemical components in diverse drug systems can be clearly visualized. CRM is a non-destructive method and combining it with other techniques, such as topographic Raman imaging and AFM, expands its analyzing capabilities. Thus, a variety of different pharmaceutical samples can be investigated and the chemical information from Spectral Raman analyses can be linked to topographic data and further surface characteristics. CRM and its correlative analyzing methods contribute to a comprehensive understanding of a pharmaceutical product and facilitate its development.

XPS and TOF-SIMS for the pharmaceutical industr

Surface analysis techniques that analyze the top few atomic layers of materials play an important role in the pharmaceutical industry. From production quality control to understanding surface interactions in biological systems, these analytical techniques are useful at all steps in the life cycle of a pharmaceutical for creating more effective products and processes. Examples where surface analysis can provide benefits include:

  • Contamination identification and qualification
  • Imaging of tablet components-drugs and excipients
  • Surface segregation and coverage
  • Packaging analysis
  • Purity and cleanliness validations
  • Sterilization studies
  • Reverse engineering/patent infringement
nanoTOF II ToF-SIMS instrument

Physical Electronics nanoTOF II ToF-SIMS instrument

X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) are two of the most commonly used surface analysis methods for studying pharmaceutical samples. The techniques are highly reliable and provide chemically specific complementary information:

  • EXP provides quantitative analysis of elemental composition and short-range chemical bonding information. However, it may be difficult to distinguish large molecules that contain the same few primary elements.
  • TOF-SIMS can distinguish molecular-scale components with high sensitivity but requires standards for quantitative analysis.
  • Combined with cluster ion beams for organic profiling, XPS and TOF-SIMS can also provide 2-dimentional and 3-dimensional depth profiles and imaging.

Contact

For more information about WITec and Physical Electronics and the leading technologies they provide to the pharmaceutical industry, please contact us for an enlightening dialog on the topic. Click here to download the flyer

xps-and-tof-sims-pharma-flyer

 

PHI VersaProbe 4 — Scanning XPS Microscope

SRC 2021

At Physical Electronics, the innovation never stops. And as the sole supplier of PHI products in Canada, SRC can help you leverage PHI innovation to achieve your goals.

For today’s advanced materials

The PHI VersaProbe 4 is a highly versatile, multi-technique instrument with PHI’s patented, monochromatic, micro-focused, scanning X-ray source.  The instrument offers true SEM-like ease of operation with superior micro-area spectroscopy and excellent large-area capabilities. The fully integrated multi-technique platform of the PHI VersaProbe 4 offers an array of optional excitation sources, sputter ion sources, and sample treatment and transfer capabilities.  These features are essential in studying today’s advanced materials and supporting your material characterization.

The new PHI VersaProbe 4 has improved spectroscopic performance, new large area imaging and mapping capabilities, and environmentally friendly modern configuration with efficient power consumption, faster pump-down and ergonomic design.

The PHI VersaProbe 4 offers:

  • Intuitive sample navigation and confident analysis area identification
  • Optimized depth profiling
  • Superior micro-area analysis
  • Suite of specialized solutions for in-situ characterization of advanced materials

PHI—trusted by researchers the world over

Publishing recent discoveries in science and technology in peer-reviewed literature is a critical function of members of the research community. In 2021 over 4500 scholar publications, including peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, were published using PHI XPS instruments. On top of this there were more than 60 papers published in the high-impact journals (Nature and Science group). The new PHI VersaProbe 4 will reinforce the trust that researchers have in PHI instruments.

Contact

To learn more about the new PHI VersaProbe 4 or to request a quote, contact us at SRC. We’d be delighted to put PHI innovation to work for you.

 

 

New Hire Announcement – George Kameka

George Kameka

SRC is pleased to announce the recent hiring of George Kameka as Account Manager for Western Canada covering the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia commencing November 23, 2021.

George obtained a B.Sc. in chemistry from Concordia University in Montreal and started his career at Metrohm/Brinkmann Instruments in Mississauga. After two years he accepted the technical sales representative position for Western Canada in Calgary.

George worked for Mettier Toledo for 15 years, the first seven as a sales specialist for electrochemical and weighing products, working out of Calgary and covering Western Canada. The following eight years he worked as advanced instrument sales specialist (thermal analysis, automated reactors and in-situ analysis), covering Ontario and Western Canada.

George also worked for three years for ThermoFisher Scientific as a technical sales representative for the ICP, ICP-MS, GC, GC_MS products, covering Western Canada from Calgary.

George is a technical sales representative with extensive industry experience and expertise in scientific instrumentation and equipment sales in a broad array of industries. He has proven success in developing competitive market strategies for direct and distribution sales and promotes new business through effective presentations and product demonstrations at trade shows and client sites. George builds and maintains relationships with customers by collaborating with them to identify their technical and business needs—SRC is most pleased to welcome him to our team.

Contact

George Kameka
Account Manager, West
Spectra Research Corporation

 

Additive Manufacturing of Ceramics for Biomedical Applications

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is a transformative/disruptive approach to industrial production in a broad range of fields that cost-effectively enables the creation of lighter, stronger, and more geometrically complex parts and systems. It is another technological advance made possible by the digitization of processes. AM uses data computer-aided-design (CAD) software or 3D object scanners to direct hardware to deposit material, layer upon layer, in precise geometric shapes. As its name implies, AM adds material to create an object. By contrast, when you create an object by traditional analog methods, it is often necessary to remove material through milling, machining, carving, shaping or other means.

Additive Manufacturing 1

The ability to design and print virtually any object shape using a diverse array of materials, such as metals, polymers, bioinks—and ceramics—has given rise to the use of AM in biomedicine in both research and clinical settings. The world of 3D ceramic printing has come a long way since the 1980s, when it was considered suitable only for the production of functional or aesthetic prototypes, and a more appropriate term for it at the time was “rapid prototyping.” This article reviews the additive manufacturing of ceramics in biomedicine, as well as the technology and products of a leading SRC supplier, 3DCeram.

The additive manufacturing of ceramics for biomedical applications allows for the creation of bone substitutes, custom implants and surgical tools. The exceptional biocompatibility, extremely regular porous structure, capacity for the formation of complex geometrical shapes and mechanical strength are the main qualities of these 3D bioceramics. 3Dbioceramics can also be produced cost-effectively and relatively quickly and, when incorporated into the human body, provide more safety and comfort for the patient and require less follow-up after surgery. Given these many attributes, the future of additive manufacturing of ceramics for biomedical applications is extremely bright and the market is expected to grow by leaps and bounds as healthcare systems seek to control spiralling patient care costs, and applications not previously considered advisable or possible continue to emerge.

3DCeram

 

 

The medical sector has always been interested in cutting-edge technologies, which is why 3DCeram began working with biomedical players in 2005. In subsequent years 3DCeram has focused on developing a mastery of the 3D printing ceramics process, 3D printers, ceramic materials and services encompassing maintenance and training. Today, the company is the undisputed global leader in the additive manufacturing of ceramics for biomedical applications.

3D Ceram leverages stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing technology to manufacture custom-made or small series bone substitutes and cranial or jawbone implants. The technology can be used to produce ceramic components layer by layer using a laser that polymerizes a paste composed of photosensitive resin and ceramic. The parts are then subjected to a heat treatment (debinding followed by sintering) that eliminates the resin and densifies the ceramic.

The medical sector

Custom-made HAP implant for the repair of large and complex craniofacial bone defects

With over a decade of medical 3D printing experience under its belt, 3DCeram produces a range of ceramic 3D printers and materials that are suitable for biomedical applications, including the accessible C100 EASY FAB system and the production-grade C3600 ULTIMATE. The company offers a number of materials that have been specifically formulated for biocompatibility and osteointegration, such as HAP (Hyd roxyapatite), TCP (Tricalcium Phosphate) and ATZ (Alumina Toughened Zirconia). 3DCeram’s products are suitable for many types of biomedical applications, from cranial and jawbone implants to dental devices.

C3600 ULTIMATE

Ceramaker 3600 ULTIMATE

In the biomedical sector, however, the ability to 3D print highly advanced or customized devices is not quite enough: all medical parts and products must undergo and meet stringent requirements. When it comes to the adoption of ceramic 3D printing in the medical sphere, certifications have not been a deal breaker, but they have created a bottleneck. CDCeram has pursued streamlining of the certification process for its biomedical customers through a new partnership with Gregory Nolens.

With a PhD in Biomedical Sciences and expertise in additive manufacturing and medical regulations, Gregory Nolens is uniquely equipped to help biomedical companies and players to not only implement ceramic 3D printing for medical device development and production, but to obtain the necessary certifications.

Contact

SRC is proud to represent 3DCeram in Canada and make available to our Canadian customers in the biomedical field the full range of 3DCeram products. Click here to contact SRC to learn more.