DRESDEN, GERMANY - More than 150 scientists and users of the ZEISS CrossBeam and Helium Ion Microscope systems met at the 1st European user workshop in Dresden. In several sessions the participants got an overview on current product developments and new applications.

Following a presentation of the new AURIGA CrossBeam workstation (FIB-SEM) and its huge application potential, users presented deep insight in their current research and development work carried out with CrossBeam systems from Carl Zeiss. Topics ranged from applications in Semiconductor Technology to material analysis, thin-film based solar cells as well as fabrication of micro- and nanodevices for biomedicine.

A most eagerly anticipated session was dedicated to the ORION Helium-Ion microscope. “The presentations from Conny Rodenberg of University of Sheffield and Frank Altmann from the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials (Halle) made clear the unique potential of this exciting technology," says Gerd Maußner, from Areva NP GmbH, Germany, one of the participants of the meeting. At the Leibniz-Institute of Polymer Research, which also acted as co-host of the workshop, and at the Carl Zeiss Innovation Center, product demos completed this successful user meeting.

Carl Zeiss SMT opens up new avenues for its customers in industrial manufacturing environments, quality assurance and industrial and academic R&D. Together with its subsidiaries in Germany, England, France, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Israel and the United States, the international group of companies has more than 2,500 employees. In fiscal year 2007/08, Carl Zeiss SMT AG generated revenues of more than USD ~ 1.3 billion. Carl Zeiss SMT AG is a wholly owned subsidiary of Carl Zeiss AG.