Page updated Feb 26th, 2010

Feb 10, 2010: Opening of the new NanoSIMS 50L facility at the Department of Microbial Ecology, University of Vienna, Austria... Over 250 listened to the scientific talks and welcome speeches by the Dean of Faculty, the Vice President of the University as well as Marcel Kuypers, Director of MPI Bremen. Under leadership from Michael Wagner, the Department of Microbial Ecology of the University of Vienna is one of the world leading center for single cell microbiology and the study of microorganisms in selected ecosystems. Besides single cell microbiology, the NanoSIMS 50L of University of Vienna will serve various medical applications.
CAMECA IMS 1280: confirmed leadership in nuclear forensics The recent purchase of an Ultra High Sensitivity Ion Microprobe IMS 1280 by the Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU Karslruhe, Germany) confirms CAMECA's undisputed leadership in the field of nuclear particle analysis. It is the second public tender won by CAMECA for this type of applications this quarter, following a long success list !
It's time to wish all our business partners and valued customers a joyful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year 2010! We were delighted to end 2009 with a handful of orders, among which... - a NanoSIMS 50L to be delivered to Stanford University's Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology. Part of the new Science and Engineering Quad (SEQ2), The Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology is scheduled to be completed in June 2010. Multiple departments contributed to the purchase of NanoSIMS 50 which will be used for an uncommonly broad range of applications in Geology, Biology, Material Science, Chemistry, and Medicine - another NanoSIMS 50L will be delivered to the Institute of Geology & Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. IGGCAS, Beijing is already user of an IMS 1280. - a SX 100 purchased by UCSB's Department of Earth Science (University of California at Santa Barbara), to improve the performance of their current SX 50 lab. The instrument will be mainly used for geological applications, some services will be performed for the Material Science Department as well. - an IMS 1280 to ITU Karslruhe, Germany - a SIMS 4550 and an IMS 7f will be delivered to prestigious industrial customers in Korea.
New Atom Probe order from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) We are delighted to announce that King Abdullah University of Science and Technology just ordered the latest model of our Laser Assisted 3D Atom Probe. The instrument will be installed at one of KAUST's core research facility within the Materials Science & Engineering department, under leadership of Prof. Tala‘at Al-Kassab. Located on the eastern shore of the Red Sea at Thuwal, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology was inaugurated in September 2009. CAMECA is extremely honored to play a role in KAUST's impressive program to develop one of the world’s leading scientific research institutions.
CAMECA Japan Technical Seminar to be held Nov. 13th in Tokyo On the agenda: presentations by several CAMECA users on a broad range of applications including biology, materials, semiconductors. Updates on recent instrument developments by Mr. Francois Horreard, Mr. Songsu Cho and Dr. Michel Schuhmacher .
India EPMA User Meeting to take place at Wadia Institute, Nov. 9-13th, 2009 Many of our EPMA users in India took part in the User Meeting hosted by Wadia Institute. SX 100 applications in geology and metallurgy were presented by various users, and CAMECA demonstrates new software features.
NanoSIMS / IMS 1280 post-doc position at UWA More information at this link.
SIMS XVII Toronto, Sep. 14-18 2009 CAMECA had a large and busy booth at SIMS International in Toronto. Recent instrumental developments and new applications were presented at the various poster and oral sessions... Among these, the astounding results of our IMS Wf/SC Ultra for EXLIE Depth Profiling, the latest advances of Atom Probe Tomography for Semiconductor Materials, and much more! A special thanks to our customers and partners who attended the CAMECA reception on Sep. 17th!
Launch of the new Ion Probe Facility at University of Western Australia, housing both CAMECA IMS 1280 and NanoSIMS 50
The new ion probe facility at University of Western Australia was launched on August 28th in presence of Australian Federal Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr. The two CAMECA instruments are the flagships of the $39 million national Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility (AMMRF). UWA Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Robson, stated that the recently installed IMS 1280 would enable the University to extend beyond its existing record of scientific achievement to reach new levels of international excellence for the benefit of the whole community.
Sub-nanometer depth resolution with EXLIE SIMS Thanks to a new configuration of our Cesium and Oxygen sources, the IMS / SC Ultra can now perform fast Extremely Low Impact Energy depth profiling, making it the tool of choice for the analysis of ultra thin layers. Recent results for as-implanted B, P, and As profiles using Extremely Low Impact Energy (EXLIE) sputtering conditions are reported in a recent paper presented at Insight 2009 (available on request). More publications on low energy SIMS are available at this link.
SX 100 inauguration at Geological Survey of India, Bangalore The newly acquired SX 100 Electron Probe MicroAnalyzer was inaugurated on April 29, 2009 in presence of key Indian geologists of GSI.
GSI is India's premier earth science organization, involved in geological mapping of the country, exploration of mineral deposits, and the study of natural hazards. The CAMECA SX 100 is installed in a brand new EPMA facility within the PPOD laboratories of AMSA in Bangalore. It will be used for routine mineral analysis (silicates, oxides, sulphides...), as well as for specialized applications such as Th-U-Pb geochronology.		Above: Mr N.K. Dutta, Senior Deputy Director General of GSI (Geological Survey of India) stands right next to CAMECA EPMA engineer Jean-Marie Winter. Left: Dr S.P. Venkata Dasu, Director of AMSE Bangalore and Mr A.K. Sinha, Deputy Director during the lighting of the lamp ceremony seeking blessing of Saraswathi , Goddess of Knowledge.
April 26-29 - Insight 2009 - Int'l Workshop on Semiconductor Device Fabrication, Napa, CA, USA. Our 3 presentations arouse great interest: - Advanced SIMS quantification in the first few nm of B, P, and As ultra shallow implants > download abstract. - Advances in Atom Probe Tomography for Semiconductor materials > download abstract - Shallow As dose measurements of 300mm patterned wafers with SIMS and LEXES > download abstract. Click here for full program!
Short Course on SIMS in the Earth and Planetary Sciences, Toronto, May 22-23, 2009 The Short Course "Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry in the Earth and Planetary Sciences: Gleaning the Big Picture from a Small Spot" will be organized by Prof. Mostafa Fayek (University of Manitoba) prior to the 2009 Joint Assembly of the Mineralogical and Geological Societies of Canada and USA. Most of the speakers are long term users of our SIMS instruments and CAMECA is very pleased to support the course. More information.
11th ARCSIS Technical & Scientific Meeting, Nov 20-21 2008, Fuveau France The 11th Technical and Scientific Meeting to take place on November 20 & 21 2008 at STUniversity in Fuveau, in the heart of one of the major poles of microelectronics in France, will focus on methods, applications and new challenges in wafer manufacturing process control. CAMECA is associated to a poster presentation submitted by IBS, European specialist in ion implantation: Advanced mapping characterisation using LEXFAB-300 for Ultra Shallow Junctions fabrication - a key point for sub-45nm device. Download the abstract (pdf).
18. CAMUS Workshop, Oct. 29-31 2008, Munich, Germany The CAMECA EPMA user meeting "CAMUS Workshop" was held October 29-31, 2008 in the Mineralogy Department of the Faculty of Geo and Environmental Sciences of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich. It was co-organized by Prof. Fehr. and CAMECA GmbH. 40 EPMA experts mainly from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands discussed instrumentation and applications. The next German language EPMA user meeting "CAMUS Workshop" is planned for Spring 2010, presumably in Austria.
New Director of Operational Excellence Patrick McCarthy has joined CAMECA as Director of Operational Excellence on September 1st, 2008. As such he will be part of the Management Committee. His mission is to re-inforce continuous improvement mechanisms and processes at CAMECA, and to address key organizational challenges as cycle time reduction. Patrick was trained as an engineer from Paris School of Mines and has a Master in Quality Management. He has a large experience in Industry: in particular he worked for Renault, Alstom, Areva in various positions where he helped improving industrial performances of these companies.
Groundbreaking discovery! Using the NanoSIMS 50, scientists from Brown University, Carnegie Institution for Science, and Case Western Reserve University discovered evidence of water in lunar samples brought back from the Apollo missions. This finding is causing scientists to rethink the conventional theory of the Moon's formation by suggesting that water has been a part of the Moon since its early existence – and perhaps since it was first created. CAMECA takes great pride in providing the instrument that made this discovery possible! Read the online report on Technology Review and the article published on July 10 in Nature.
10th International Symposium on SIMS and related techniques, Seikei University, Japan, July 17-18, 2008: Dr Michel Schuhmacher was an invited speaker at the Seikei SIMS symposium and gave two presentations within the Atom Probe and the Dynamic SIMS sessions.
NanoSIMS School at Tokyo University - 23-27 June 2008 CAMECA Japan organized the 1st NanoSIMS School in Japan. It was hosted by Prof. Yuri Sano at Tokyo University. CAMECA NanoSIMS Project Leader Francois Hillion gave both theoretical and practical insight, and several users presented their current research with the NanoSIMS. Francois Hillion during NanoSIMS School at Tokyo University.
CAMECA US office is moving ! After many years in Trumbull, the Cameca US office is leaving Connecticut on April 28th, 2008. The new US office for operations will be in Nampa, Idaho. The Parts Logistics Department will join our existing Sales Office in Nampa, Idaho, completing the relocation of the US headquarters for CAMECA Instruments, Inc. The result to all of our valued customers will be a more efficient and helpful experience particularly for service and parts requests, while maintaining complete coverage of the North American region. Full address of our Idaho Office at this link.
ACMM 20, Feb. 11-15 2008 in Perth, Australia CAMECA exhibited at the Australian Conference on Microscopy and Microanalysis... and gave two presentations: -NanoSIMS 50: from design to reproducibility, an invited talk by NanoSIMS Project Leader Francois Hillion: -Achieving high precision in U-Pb dating measurements and in isotope ratio analysis with the CAMECA IMS 1280, by Philippe Saliot. International NanoSIMS Workshop, Feb. 2008, Perth		CAMECA booth at ACMM 20, early morning, Feb. 11 The conference was followed by the International NanoSIMS Workshop (Feb. 15-18). More than 30 researchers representing 8 NanoSIMS laboratories from all over the world attended this workshop organized by Peta Clode and Matt Kilburn from University of Western Australia. Technical and tutorial presentations were provided by NanoSIMS 50 Project Leader Francois Hillion.
First IMS Wf European Users School, November 19-23 2007, Luxemburg.
1st IMS Wf Users School in Luxemburg		The first edition of the IMS Wf Users Schools of the European Nanobeams Network Of Excellence was organized on December 12-14, 2007 at the SAM facility (Science and Analysis of Materials Department) of the Gabriel Lippmann Public Research Center in Luxemburg. The short theoretical and practical course given by Alex Merkulov, CAMECA IMS Wf Project Leader, was attended by Dr. Nathalie Valle (SAM, Luxemburg), Dr. Jean-Nicolas Audinot (SAM, Luxemburg), Seo Yoon Choi (CAMECA, France), Dr. Patrick Philipp (SAM, Luxemburg), and Chantal Trouiller (ST Microelectronics).
SIMS Community Meeting, Pusan, Korea 35 customers and prospects attended the 4th Korean SIMS Community Meeting in Pusan, on December 6th and 7th, 2007.		4th Korean SIMS Community Meeting
NanoSIMS Users School at University of Rennes, November 19-23 2007
NanoSIMS Users School in Rennes		The third edition of the NanoSIMS Users Schools of the European Nanobeams Network Of Excellence was organized the week November 19-23, 2007 at the University of Rennes, France. The theoritical and practical course given by François Hillion, CAMECA, was attended by Thomas Delhaye (University of Rennes-1, France), Manuel Petitat (Museum of Natural History, Paris, France), Aurélien Thomen (Museum of Natural History, Paris-France), Esther Lentzen (SAM, Luxemburg), Katie Moore (University of Oxford, U.K.) and Henner Busemann (Open University, U.K.). The NanoSIMS of the University of Rennes-1 is part of the ONIS interdisciplinary imaging platform serving research as well as providing service for the private industry.

SIMS XVI in Kanazawa Japan from Oct. 29th until Nov. 2nd was a real success for CAMECA! Our stand kept busy all week, over 200 guests enjoyed our dinner party on the opening day, and the presentations and posters by our scientists were all widely applauded.

Some ot these presentations are now available for download:

- LA-WATAP & SIMS as complementary techniques for quantitative measurement of nanometer structures, I. Martin et al.

- Towards accuracy in SIMS depth profiling using ultra low energy PI ions, mathematical models and capping, H.-Ulrich Ehrke et al.

- CAMECA IMS 7f-GEO: Specialized SIMS Tool for Geosciences. P. Peres et al. (on request only)

- Development & characterization of the new NanoSIMS 50L, F. Hillion et al.

CAMECA exhibited at the AVS 54th International Symposium - October 14-24, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Ludovic Renaud's invited paper "The 3D Atom Probe Instrument - Introduction to the Technique & Some Applications in Materials Science" was well-attended.

CAMECA Germany had a booth at Goldschmidt 2007 - August 19-24, Cologne, Germany!
Paula Peres' poster "Introduction to CAMECA IMS 7f-GEO" attracted a wide audience .

On 9 August 2007, AMETEK acquired 100% of the shares held by CAMECA’s financial holding company. This change of ownership will allow us to strengthen our position in various advanced technologies and challenging markets, and we will greatly benefit from AMETEK's international leadership as a global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices.
CAMECA joins AMETEK's Materials Analysis Division (MAD) which already brings together EDAX and SPECTRO. AMETEK's MAD provides analytical instrumentation for applications in the metals, environmental, R&D, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, electronics, and forensic science markets.
CAMECA and AMETEK are committed to providing all of our customers with a seamless transition. We will continue to support your research projects by delivering top-level scientific instruments and customer service.

July 2007 - The Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology of Bremen, Germany placed an order for a fully equipped NanoSIMS 50L.
During their preliminary tests at CAMECA, the researchers of MPI, Dr. Marcel Kuypers and Bo Jorgensen validated the promises of single cell environmental microbiology. We wish the MPI Bremen success in this new field of research.

SX 100 / EPMA Indian users meeting and training course
The event was co-organized by CAMECA and Gannon Dunkerley & Co. Ltd., Mumbai, Indian agents, and hosted by the National Geophysical Research Institute in Hyderabad, July 18-29, 2007
Scientists from prestigious SX100 facilities in India attended: BARC, Mumbai - GSI, Kolkata - NGRI, Hyderabad - IBM, Nagpur - TIFR, Mumbai - DMRL, Hyderabad - PRL, Ahmedabad.
Topics covered both Preventive Maintenance (SXCLM) and Advanced Operation (SXCLO), and the workshop was also a forum allowing participants to share experiences with the SX 100. All of them agreed that the meeting was successful and fruitful.
Thank you to Mr. Deshmukh and Mr. S.B. Trilokekar from Gannon Dunkerley & Co. Ltd., Mumbai, and Dr. EVSSK. Babu and Dr. P.V. Sunder Raju from the National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad for their generous support!.

June 2007 - New SX 100R acquired by CEA Cadarache LECA Laboratory
We are pleased to announce that CEA Cadarache LECA Laboratory just purchased the latest model of our Electron Probe Micro Analyzer SX 100R for the measurement of radioactive samples. French government-funded research organisation CEA is internationally recognized for its excellence in nuclear research. This SX 100R instrument was developed on request of LECA and customized to meet the laboratory's specific needs for the analysis of irradiated nuclear fuel.

New Quad SIMS order from Taiwan! CAMECA just received an order for a SIMS 4550 from IST (Integrated Service Technology), a lab-service company specializing in the development of failure analysis, debugging, and micro-surgery technology.

Services include component and system reliability testing as well as the analysis of electronic parts and components, the aim being to provide customers with a comprehensive solution to meet the fast-changing needs of the semiconductor industry. IST's choice of a CAMECA quad SIMS 4550 was motivated by the excellent reputation of our instrument in terms of performance, but also our strong application support and dedicated after-sales service.

New SC Ultra at IMEC, Belgium
CAMECA just received an order for a SC Ultra from Pr. Wilfried Vandervorst at IMEC, European center for semiconductors development in Belgium,.The ULE CAMECA SIMS instrument will be used to support development of latest generation devices and will have improved vacuum and Ultra Low Energy capabilities following Pr Vandervorst requirements.

LA-WATAP Atom Probe at NIMS, Japan
For the end of 2006, CAMECA and CAMECA Japan are very proud to have received  the order for a LA-WATAP Atom probe detector from Pr. Hono of NIMS, Tsukuba - Japan. Pr. Hono is a world expert in Atom Probe related to materials science. Over the years, he has built a variety of instruments based on different technologies, and after gaining practical experience on the LASER evaporation mode, he decided to develop a new Atom Probe configuration. To this purpose, Pr. Hono selected the CAMECA LA-WATAP detection system, recognized as offering the best performance with its lower noise, high temporal precision and superior multi-hit capabilities. It is very important for CAMECA to receive the judgement from scientific experts validating its technical choices.  

NanoSIMS users school, December 2006
A one-week NanoSIMS users workshop was organized in CAMECA as part of the NANOBEAMS European Network for Microanalysis with charged particles.
Whether newcomers or experts, all attendees expressed their appreciation for this type of case-oriented, hands-on sessions.







CAMECA / IMEC Joint Development Program
On Oct 12^th 2006, CAMECA and IME signed a Joint Development Program on Tomographic Atom Probe Characterization of Semiconductor Structures.  IMEC is Europe's leading independent research center in the field of micro- and nanoelectronics and nanotechnology.
IMEC placed a PO for a Laser Assisted Wide Angle Tomographic Atom Probe (LA-WATAP).
IMEC TAP program of Dr. Wilfried Vandervorst includes investigation in the following areas:
- Development of procedures for routine fabrication of samples suited for Atom Probe analysis,
- Evaluation of Atom Probe for 3D-profiling  of semiconductor structures,
- Linking AP-results to process and device development.
Read the official press release.

During the SIMS Europe 2006 conference in Munster - Germany, CAMECA presented its recent  innovations in the SIMS field:
- SIMS 4550 series: adaptation of the high brightness CAMECA microbeam cesium ion source on the renowned FLIG column. Erosion rate improvement, dynamic range improvement and improved capabilities for small area analysis were detailed. It is now available as an upgrade to existing instruments.
- IMS 7f : new transfer optical system improving the reproducibility on multi-hole sample holders down to deep sub percent level in automated mode, and quasi-continuous sample current monitoring for improved depth scale accuracy.
- IMS 7f-GEO: Fast mass switch and dual FC for improved throughput.
- NanoSIMS 50/ 50L: improved isotope ratio reproducibility down to deep sub-permil level thanks to the capabilities of multiple FC detectors and new electronics.  

A second SIMS 4550 for Fujitsu Laboratories
CAMECA is delighted to have received the order for a quadrupole SIMS model SIMS 4550 from Dr Yuji Kataoka of the Fujitsu Laboratories in Japan. Dr Kataoka, SIMS expert, was already owner of one Ultra Low Energy quadrupole SIMS 4550. This second order from Fujitsu Laboratories for the same instrumentproves its superiority, and there can be no better satisfaction - and advertisement for CAMECA!

CAMECA has been very pleased to receive an order for a LA-WATAP Atom Probe from Pr. Chan Gyung Park of  the prestigious POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) and NCNT (National Center for Nanomaterial Technology) in Korea. POSTECH is collaborating with the major hi-tech industries in Korea.
A Memorandum Of Understanding has been signed during the official ceremony August 17th in POSTECH between Pr Chan-Mo Park, president of POSTECH and Georges Antier, CAMECA CEO, describing the agreement for the application and technique development in the field of the nanotechnologies using the CAMECA LASER-assisted Atom Probe.







A tree was planted and a marble plaque was placed in order to commemorate the beginning of this promising collaboration.
From the left:  Pr. Chan Gyung Park (POSTECH), Chuck Kim (Cameca Korea director), Georges Antier (Cameca CEO), Yong-Dae Kim (Vice-provincial governor of Kyunggi-do), Pr. Yoon Ha Jeong (Executive director, Head of NCNT).

CAMECA has been very pleased to receive the order for a NanoSIMS 50 from the University of Rennes, France. Part of the central advanced imaging platform ONIS, the NS50 will be used for a diversity of application including glasses, ceramics, soil, paleontology, pharmacology and others.

CAMECA is happy to welcome Dr. Isabelle Martin who has been hired to reinforce the LA-WATAP application laboratory. Dr. Martin made her thesis in Pr. Hono's laboratory in Tsukuba, Japan, working on Atom Probe. Her subject was a study of the cristallisation of an amorphous zirconium base and a contribution to the development of a Laser-Assisted Atom Probe.

First LA-WATAP delivered to the french University  of Rouen. This next generation Laser Assisted Wide Angle Tomographic Atom Probe incorporates a femto-second laser allowing the analysis of semiconductors and other low conductivity materials. "Wide Angle" relates to the large field of view (100nm) available. The Atom Probe is the ultimate Mass Spectrometry technique allowing quantitative 3D chemical and isotopical analysis with atomic spatial resolution.

  We are very proud to have received an order for a large radius sector SIMS IMS 1280 from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS) in Beijing, P.R. China. The contract was signed by the Deputy Director Pr. Rixian Zhu. The instrument will be mainly devoted to geochronology using U/Pb zircon dating. The program also includes studies on stable isotopes.

Multiple orders have been received for CAMECA Shallow Probe LEXFAB-300 for semiconductor manufacturing metrology. Over the past two years, the LEXFAB-300 has been qualified by the biggest Chip and Memory manufacturers. The CAMECA LEXES tool is used for yield enhancement through measurements on product wafers (scribe lines or small test pads), which are key to stabilize and optimize a full set of process steps (implantation, diffusion, deposition).

2006 will be an important year for CAMECA with the move in July to a brand new factory under final construction in Gennevilliers, 5km north-east from our present location. We found it the perfect timing to change our logo. Our new logo tells our two markets: Scientific instruments for laboratories and Metrology tools for the monitoring of semiconductor production.
As for the pictogram, it is voluntarily simple in order to allow a free interpretation adapted to the various applications andfields of our users:
- a beam of particles in a test pattern or field of analysis,
- a planetary system for our applications in geology or astrophysics,
- trajectories of ions in a magnet,
- optical lenses,
- a partial view of a semiconductor wafer,
- from the left to the right the successive waves of innovations and new techniques (from EPMA to the Atom probe and the Cameca of today)... 
Good luck and long life to our new logo !

CAMECA is very proud to be considered the Reference in the Electron Microprobe market. Among the numerous orders taken in 2006 for geology, geochemistry and material sciences one should mention the order for a customized shielded SX100R for the analysis of radioactive materials. The order was placed by Pr. Walker from Institut für Transurane (ITU) in Karlsruhe, Germany.

We are very proud to have received an order a NanoSIMS 50 from the PRL (Physical Research Laboratory), Ahmedabad, India. The instrument ordered by Dr. J. N. Goswami will be applied to cosmochemistry and life science.

We are very proud to have received an order for a large radius NanoSIMS 50L from the Open University, U.K. Dr. Ian Franchi ordered this new instrument for cosmochemistry application. The Open U. instrument will detect seven masses in parallel with seven E.M. detectors and three FCs with the objective of isotope ratio measurements at sub-permil precision in extra-terrestrial materials.

The IMS 7f and IMS Wf-SCUltra magnetic sector SIMS instruments continue to receive an outstanding  market response with numerous orders since the beginning of 2006 for semiconductors applications.

2006 started with the success of the Stardust NASA mission bringing back to earth stardusts from the comet Wild 2. All TV programs showed this in prime time on January 15th. The CAMECA  NanoSIMS will be used in several laboratories around the world to analyze the isotopic composition of these sub-micron interstellar dusts. See for example TF1 20h news of Jan 15 (in french. Use Windows Explorer), showing the NanoSIMS at the Museum of Natural History of Paris with comments from Dr. Francois Robert.