September 2009

Quorum Technologies has recently installed two market-leading PP2000T cryo-SEM preparation systems in the Imaging and Characterisation Labs at the newly-opened King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Both PP2000T instruments are installed on FEI DualBeam™ (FIB/SEM) systems.

KAUST celebrated its opening in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia on 23 September 2009, having been set up by an endowment from King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to be an international, graduate-level research university.

As the market for FEI’s electronics and life sciences systems expanded rapidly, the company realised the need for a reliable and stable cryo stage to support its advanced cryo technologies. “The reliability and stability are not only important in terms of movement, but also in terms of temperature,” explained Graham Tye, cryo-SEM Service Manager at Quorum Technologies - FEI’s choice supplier for cryo-SEM stages.

For the last four years, FEI has relied on Quorum Technologies’ advanced PP2000T cryo stage technology for its DualBeam™ systems, and Graham was on-site at KAUST to assist with installation and customer training on the two new systems. “What marks our relationship with FEI is a shared dedication to partnership and achieving common goals, both in terms of procurement and on a technical level,” he explained. “FEI takes its products very seriously and is always looking to resolve any weaknesses a product design might have.”

The companies’ dedication to customer service and product excellence led to extensive testing and optimisation of cryo systems before installation, so as to minimise any potential problems on-site. “The KAUST project has been an invaluable opportunity for us to grow with FEI and to cement our working relationship,” concluded Graham. “We have a true symbiosis that will hopefully lead to many more exciting projects in the future.”

For more information on KAUST, visit http://www.kaust.edu.sa/about/about.html