Combined technologies enable faster and more effective surface particle contamination analysis
Phoenix, AZ — Nanoscience Instruments is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Fastmicro, a leading provider of automated surface particle inspection solutions. Together, the companies will deliver an integrated solution that combines rapid surface particle quantification with advanced particle characterization, helping manufacturers accelerate contamination investigations and strengthen technical cleanliness programs.
Surface particle contamination remains a significant challenge across advanced manufacturing industries, where even small contaminant particles can impact process reliability and production yield. Effective contamination control requires both the ability to quickly identify and quantify particles on critical surfaces and the analytical tools needed to determine their composition and potential source.
Through this partnership, scientists and engineers can leverage Fastmicro’s technologies for rapid and repeatable particle detection, counting, sizing, and localization. The Fastmicro Sample Scanner uses an adhesive method to collect particles, then rapidly inspects the surface of the sampler to detect, count, size, and map particles across a large sample area with high repeatability. The Fastmicro Particle Fallout Scanner enables continuous monitoring of airborne particle fallout, helping users identify contamination sources and assess cleanroom performance over time. In addition, the Phenom Desktop SEM can be used to autonomously navigate to each identified particle for further investigation of particle morphology and elemental characterization using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The complementary capabilities of the two techniques allow users to quickly and reliably quantify surface particle contamination, supporting contamination-control decisions, process improvements, and yield enhancement.
“Organizations are under increasing pressure to identify contamination sources quickly and implement corrective actions that improve product quality and process performance,” said Sebastian Kossek, Ph.D., co-Chief Executive Officer at Nanoscience Instruments. “Our partnership with Fastmicro brings together two highly complementary technologies that help users accelerate particle investigations while gaining deeper insight into the nature and origin of contamination.”
The integrated approach is particularly valuable for laboratories and manufacturers seeking to reduce the time required for root-cause analysis. By combining high-speed surface particle screening with advanced, automated SEM imaging and elemental analysis, customers can prioritize particles of interest and redirect analytical resources where they will have the greatest impact.
“Developments in AI, advanced packaging, and compound semiconductors are becoming increasingly sensitive to particle contamination,” said Bart Dirkx, CTO at Fastmicro. “Fastmicro is dedicated to developing solutions that quantify surface particle cleanliness in a fast, repeatable, and reliable manner. By partnering with Nanoscience Instruments, we provide customers with not only rapid particle quantification, but also accelerated particle characterization to support better decision-making and more effective contamination-control strategies.”
The partnership will support customers across a range of industries where particle contamination is a critical concern, including semiconductor manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, medical device manufacturing, precision engineering, and advanced electronics.
Together, Nanoscience Instruments and Fastmicro are committed to helping customers accelerate root-cause investigations and gain greater confidence in cleanliness-control processes.
About the Companies:
About Nanoscience Instruments
Nanoscience Instruments has been a trusted partner to scientists, engineers, and innovators across North America for over 20 years. We partner with leading scientific equipment manufacturers and provide solutions that empower our customers by accelerating innovations and solving their complex R&D and QC/FA challenges. Our offerings include the world’s most popular Scanning Electron Microscopes, sophisticated ion mills and sputter coaters for sample preparation, electrospinning equipment for nanofiber synthesis, micro compounders, platen presses, and tensiometers. For life science we offer SEM with scanning transmission electron microscopy capabilities and novel sample preparation solutions for Cryo-EM, as well as advanced QCM-D systems. Nanoscience Instruments has offices in Phoenix, Arizona and in Alexandria, Virginia featuring laboratories and service centers, staffed by a team of dedicated application scientists, product managers, and service engineers. Our technical sales territory managers are strategically located across the US in key markets and metropolitan areas. Additionally, our in-house marketing team drives brand awareness and the adoption of innovative technologies across North America. A partner company, Nanoscience Analytical, provides contract analysis and contract development utilizing a specialized team of scientists.
About Fontijne Presses
Fastmicro enables process quality engineers to make reliable particle contamination control decisions on where and how to improve their cleanliness processes and deliver consistent quality products. And ultimately, achieve leading-edge equipment performance for their end users. We help with reducing yield losses and keeping up with ever-increasing cleanliness requirements.
