Oxford Instruments

HsinChu County, 
Taiwan

• Booth: I2009
• - 1st Floor

Oxford Instruments plc is a leading provider of high technology products and services to the world's leading industrial companies and scientific research communities.

Our core purpose is to support our customers to address some of the world's most pressing challenges, enabling a greener economy, increased connectivity, improved health and leaps in scientific understanding.

Oxford has a broad spectrum of capability and expertise, composing of 8 business units structured into two divisions:

Materials and Characterisation develops products and solutions that enable the fabrication and characterisation of devices down to the atomic scale.

• Asylum Research is the Technology Leading Manufacturer for Atomic Force Microscopy.
• Magnetic Resonance is a leader in benchtop NMR spectroscopy and time domain (TD-NMR) relaxometry solutions enable novel research and optimise quality control.
• NanoAnalysis provides leading-edge tools that enable materials characterisation and sample manipulation at the nanometre scale.
• WITec is a leader in d Raman, Atomic Force Microscopy, and Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy.

Research and Discovery provides advanced solutions that create unique environments and enable imaging and analytical measurements down to molecular and atomic levels:

• Andor Technology are global leaders in the development and manufacture of high performance scientific digital cameras, microscopy systems and spectrographs for academic, industrial and government applications.
• Imaris is the world’s leading Interactive Microscopy Image Analysis software company, actively shaping the way microscopic images are processed through constant innovation and a clear focus on 3D and 4D imaging.
• Plasma Technology is a leading provider of etch & deposition processing equipment & solutions.
• NanoScience are world leaders in dilution refrigerators and ultrahigh magnetic field environments for research applications including quantum technologies, nano technology research, advanced materials and nano device development.
• X-Ray Technology is a leading manufacturer of x-ray tubes, power supplies, and integrated x-ray sources.

We are proud to be recognised as the leaders in what we do and for the difference we make in the world.

 Press Releases

• New Partnership for Reliable GaN Power Devices (20220713)

  Leading GaN device manufacturer Rohm Semiconductor partners with Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology for greener and more reliable GaN power electronics using ALE technology

  Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology announced today that Rohm Semiconductor, a leading Japanese manufacturer of innovative GaN devices for automotive applications, has selected Oxford Instruments’ PlasmaPro®100 Cobra® Atomic Layer Etch (ALE) system. The system will be implemented in Rohm’s facility for the development of next generation highly efficient and reliable GaN power devices. Rohm will work closely with Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology to resolve challenges in GaN device manufacture, which will enable GaN technology to revolutionise key industries.

  Rohm has demonstrated breakthrough GaN technology – their GaN HEMT devices deliver 65% lower switching loss with excellent switch speed characteristics and thermal dissipation efficiency. Broader adoption of GaN, and the efficiency benefits that the technology can provide, has been hampered by narrow voltage margins in standard products, leading to component degradation and failure. Rohm’s ‘normally-off’ GaN device technology delivers 3x more voltage margin, for ultimate reliability, with excellent heat dissipation and low power consumption, for data centres, base stations, LiDAR technology, drone and electric vehicle applications.

  In preparation for the high demand expected, Rohm performed an extensive evaluation of manufacturing platforms. Oxford Instruments ALE technology delivers a smooth low damage etch process making it the clear choice for Rohm to develop its platform of GaN power devices on.

  "We have key collaborations in Japan to bring atomic scale GaN and SiC deposition and etch technology solutions for Wide Band Gap production customers. Today's announcement is an important step for our business, and it is pleasing that after such an extensive review of the market, Rohm have chosen our ALE platform for GaN power devices” comments Klaas Wisniewski, Plasma Technology’s Strategic Business Development Director, who also added: “There are critical applications for GaN such as base stations and data centres, where the technology offers significant benefit in reducing power consumption, as we shift to a greener economy. Rohm creates high quality and robust devices for several important markets and we are excited to see the products that will be created using our Atomic Scale Processing solutions.”

  About Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology

  Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology offers flexible, configurable process tools and leading-edge processes for the precise, controllable and repeatable engineering of micro- and nano-structures. Our systems provide process solutions for the etching of nanometre sized features, nanolayer deposition and the controlled growth of nanostructures.

  These solutions are based on core technologies in plasma-enhanced deposition and etch, ion-beam deposition and etch, atomic layer deposition, deep silicon etch and physical vapour deposition. Products range from compact stand-alone systems for R&D, through batch tools and up to clustered cassette-to-cassette platforms for high-throughput production processing.

• New Cypher L Atomic Force Microscope Provides Higher Resolution and a Simpler User Experience for Core Nanoscience Research Fields (20220713)

  July 13, 2022 (Santa Barbara, CA) Oxford Instruments Asylum Research today announced the launch of the new Cypher L atomic force microscope (AFM). Based on the acclaimed high-performance Cypher AFM platform, the Cypher L is designed for researchers who need core AFM capabilities in research markets including polymers, 2D materials, quantum technology, and energy storage. The Cypher L provides higher performance than other AFMs in this segment, approaching the ultra-high performance of its Cypher S and Cypher ES family members, while remaining affordable and accessible to typical research funding sources. The Cypher L is the first AFM operating exclusively on the new Asylum Research Ergo software platform, which provides a streamlined workflow and imaging automation for a simplified user experience. The Cypher L is the only AFM in this market segment that is specifically designed to be upgradeable, which allows researchers to invest in a quality AFM platform and then upgrade to add new capabilities as they need them.

  “The Cypher L will set a new, higher performance standard for research AFMs at this price point. Many researchers need a higher performance AFM that provides core characterization techniques without all the added complexity and expense of more advanced modes and capabilities,” said Mario Viani, President at Asylum Research. “Other AFMs in this segment try to do everything but fall short in performance because they are built on outdated AFM platforms. The Cypher L enables researchers to buy a top-tier research AFM and then upgrade as their requirements evolve.”

  The Cypher L is available now and joins the rest of the Asylum Research Cypher AFM family. The Cypher S is the next step up from the Cypher L and features ultra-high resolution, faster scanning, and a vast range of supported imaging modes. The Cypher ES adds exceptional environmental control capabilities to the platform while maintaining the ultra-high performance of the Cypher S. Finally, the Cypher VRS1250 is the pinnacle of the Cypher family, adding high-speed imaging at true video-rate speeds up to 45 frames per second. Cypher customers can upgrade from any point in the AFM family to the more advanced models.

  Learn more about the Cypher L at: https://AFM.oxinst.com/CypherL

• HVA150 – High Voltage Accessory for Jupiter XR, Large Sample Atomic Force Microscope (20220713)

  April 13th, 2022 (Santa Barbara, CA).  Oxford Instruments Asylum Research announces the release of the HVA150 – high voltage accessory for the Jupiter XR atomic force microscope (AFM). HVA150 expands the bias range that can be used during AFM experiments up to ±150 V, allowing for advanced AFM characterization of piezoelectric & ferroelectrics materials, 2D materials and thin films. “The HVA150 is quick to set-up, safe and the results are impressive. It is a great addition to the suite of accessories for the Jupiter XR AFM,” commented Dr. Jason Li, Applications Scientist manager at Oxford Instruments Asylum Research.

  Asylum Research AFMs are widely used across many different industrial and academic research fields including energy storage, polymers, semiconductors and 2D materials. The Jupiter XR is a large-sample AFM that can accommodate samples up to 200 millimeters in diameter and inspect areas up to 100×100 microns while still delivering ultra-high resolution and high throughput, with typical images requiring <1 minute to acquire.

  For more information see afm.oxinst.com/high-voltage-accessory-jupiter

  Image caption: Jupiter XR AFM configured with the HVA150 accessory.

• Oxford Instruments’ Atomfab® system is production-qualified at a market-leading GaN power electronics device manufacturer (20220713)

  Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology, a leading supplier of plasma etch and deposition high volume manufacturing (HVM) solutions to major Compound Semiconductor (CS) device manufacturers, has had its remote plasma Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) nitride passivation solution qualified for full production by a US-based market leading power electronics manufacturer of GaN devices to support the first phase of its ramp.

  GaN-based devices are now well established in the consumer market, with a wide range of rapid chargers available commercially to support mobile devices. Fast charging and a smaller footprint are among the key benefits of GaN technology and are accelerating the rapid adoption with consumers. The Atomfab ALD system delivers the wafer demand required to meet the cost of ownership of HVM GaN device manufacturers.

  “Atomfab is able to significantly reduce the cost per wafer through unique technical innovations including a patent-pending low damage revolutionary fast remote plasma source which delivers higher quality Al2O3 films compared to thermal ALD’ says Dr Aileen O’Mahony, ALD Product Manager, Oxford Instruments. Dr O’Mahony continues: “Combining the plasma pre-treatment and film quality benefits of plasma ALD without compromising on throughput or quality is a step change to achieve the wafer ramp and yield our customers demanded.”

  Atomfab fulfils customer needs on a single wafer platform with SEMI standard cluster configurations and improved process controls for the latest compound semiconductor solutions. For this customer, the system was fully and seamlessly integrated into their manufacturing line and fab automation software.

  Oxford Instruments Service Director, Dean Furlong adds, “Factory automation and monitoring is of high importance in fab manufacturing lines. Integration to these systems is equally important as the wafers themselves. These systems are built into all of Oxford Instruments production equipment. Following industry standards allowed this customer to quickly interface its factory automation software into our system”

• WITec Jubilee Celebrates 25 Years of Innovation (20220713)

  The event saw the Raman microscopy specialists honored with a significant historical artwork

  WITec GmbH marked a quarter century since its founding with a party on Friday, July 1, 2022. The Ulm, Germany-based company hosted old friends and new colleagues for an evening of reflection, fellowship and fun.

  The event, "WITec Jubilee - 25 Years in Focus," began with founders Joachim Koenen and Olaf Hollricher recounting the origin of the firm and its progression from a start-up to a globally recognized leader in Raman microscopy.

  “We decided early on that our motto would be ‘Focus Innovations’ because it described what we wanted to achieve,” says Dr. Koenen. “Our approach, and really the key to our success is right there, hard work and creativity. I’m very appreciative of everyone here and proud of what we’ve accomplished so far.”

  The company has grown organically from a University of Ulm spin-off in 1997 into a thriving business with an extensive record of innovation in 2022. A building expansion that doubles the capacity of the current headquarters will enable the company to keep up with strong demand for its products. The official key handover ceremony for this new facility took place at the party and Dr. Jan Stefan Roell, Head of the Ulm Chamber of Industry and Commerce, presented a certificate recognizing the company’s achievement.

  The evening’s keynote address was given by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kiefer, a renowned figure who has shaped Raman spectroscopy in Europe as no other over the past fifty years. He is also an enthusiastic promoter of the legacy of C.V. Raman, who won the 1930 Nobel Prize for describing the effect that bears his name. In a particularly emotional moment, Prof. Dr. Kiefer presented WITec’s founders with a watercolor portrait of Sir Raman painted from life by Prof. Dr. Josef Behringer during Raman’s only visit to Germany in 1956.

  “That stunned me. We’re so grateful, so honored by this gift. Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was a monumental physicist and an inspiring man,” says Dr. Hollricher. “It’s truly moving to look at that wonderful painting and feel a direct connection to the discoverer himself.”

  Following the presentation of the portrait, during dinner, amidst dancing and into the night, WITec team members reminisced about the path that led to this milestone, and talked excitedly about the way forward for the next twenty-five years.

 Products