History of Fischione Instruments

1966
Eugene A. Fischione founded E.A. Fischione Instruments, Inc. (FISCHIONE) in 1966. As a research machinist at the U.S. Steel Technical Center (formerly U.S. Steel Research Center) from 1956 to 1977, Mr. Fischione was involved with many of the early developments in electron microscopy. His contributions were concentrated in the area of developing and fabricating experimental instrumentation. The instruments produced were either the first of their kind or modifications that significantly improved the performance of existing technology.

As technology advanced, the need increased to develop products that prepare the specimen for observation and analysis in the electron microscope (EM). Scientists realized that with higher quality initial specimens, better analytical results could be obtained. Working with leading materials scientists, Mr. E. Fischione developed the Automatic Twin-Jet Electropolisher. From a thin foil, this device prepares a specimen acceptable for direct observation in a transmission electron microscope (TEM). His work was published in the Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 37, No. 10, 1351- 1353, October, 1966, and was titled, “Automatic Unit for Thinning Transmission Electron Microscopy Specimens of Metals.”

After obtaining a release from U.S. Steel, Mr. E. Fischione began producing the Electropolisher commercially. Today, this instrument is still being sold, and it can be found in laboratories in over 40 countries spanning six continents.

1978-1994
After graduation as a mechanical engineer from the University of Pittsburgh in 1978, Mr. Paul E. Fischione, son of the founder, gained experience in the Research and Engineering Departments at Mine Safety Appliances Company (MSA) and United Technologies Corporation (UTC). Since acquiring ownership of the company in 1986, Paul Fischione began to establish its future direction and started a series of new product developments including --

• Ancillary products for the Electropolisher.
  
• Specimen preparation instruments to meet the changing focus of electron microscopy for the study of advanced materials research specimens (i.e., ceramics, semiconductors, high-Tc superconductors, and metal matrix composites) for TEM.
  
• Specialized specimen holder technology for the presentation of the as-prepared specimen to the electron optics.
  
• An ultra-high resolution imaging detector, which is an integral microscope component.

Through an intense development effort, the FISCHIONE product line has been expanded to include all of the major devices that are required for preparing TEM specimens --

• The Model 170 Ultrasonic Disk Cutter - used for producing specimen disks and rectangular wafers from brittle materials.
• The Model 200 Dimpling Grinder - the most technologically advanced dimpling grinder (used for mechanically pre-thinning various materials) on the market today.
• The Model 1010 Ion Mill - a device in which the impingement of charged argon atoms (ions) onto the specimen surface thins the specimen to electron transparency as a result of a momentum transfer procedure. The addition of the Model 1010 Ion Mill to the product line positioned FISCHIONE as a full-range supplier of TEM specimen preparation devices.

1995-Present
In 1995, a new era of specimen preparation was created with the introduction of the Model 1020 Plasma Cleaner. The Model 1020 uses a low energy gas plasma to remove organic contamination from TEM specimens. The patented technology of the Model 1020 (U.S. Patent Number 5,633,502 issued May 27, 1997) is critical when conducting electron microscopy using state-of-the-art TEMs. In these devices, the specimen is highly susceptible to contamination, which adversely affects imaging and analysis. The Model 1020 has made a major impact on the way that electron microscopy is being conducted. It also marked the first time that FISCHIONE initiated a technology into the marketplace, greatly enhancing its reputation as a premier supplier of advanced TEM related instrumentation.

Introduced in 1998, the Model 3000 ADF (Annular Dark Field) Detector provides high-resolution scanning transmission (STEM) imaging. The ADF detector yields atomic number (z-contrast) imaging of the specimen and is capable of single electron detection. This product represents FISCHIONE’s first in-column attachment.

Seeing the move in microscopy from two-dimensional to three-dimensional information, in 2002 FISCHIONE introduced the Model 2020 Advanced Tomography Holder. The Model 2020 allows room temperature data collection over wide tilt and translation ranges, even in TEMs with restrictive pole piece gap geometries. The Model 2020 is ideal for life and physical sciences as well as any other application requiring high specimen tilt. The Tomography Holder product line has been subsequently expanded to include the Model 2030 Ultra-Narrow Gap Tomography Holder (2005), The Model 2040 Dual-Axis Tomography Holder (2006), and The Model 2050 On-Axis Rotation Tomography Holder (2006).

Since FISCHIONE’s business is to provide tools for advanced forms of specimen preparation for TEM, it recognized that many TEM preparation techniques have become applicable to SEM samples. Contributing factors are decreasing feature sizes, particularly in semiconductor and emerging nanotechnology applications and improved resolution of scanning electron microscopes (SEMs). These factors place greater emphasis on the surface characteristics of the specimen; therefore, necessitating the need for preparation treatments to enhance SEM imaging and analysis.

As a result, in 2003 FISCHIONE introduced the Model 1030 Automated Sample Preparation (ASaP) System. The Model 1030 ASaP combines the features of plasma cleaning, ion beam etching, reactive ion etching, and high-resolution ion beam sputter coating. These features significantly enhance the specimen’s surface characteristics. Gaining insight from the installed base, the ASaP was subsequently redesigned to enhance functionality and performance. The Gen-II system was introduced in 2008. The ASaP is computer controlled for easy, fast, and reliable operation.

In keeping with its tradition of innovation in advanced specimen preparation technology, and considering the increased usage of focused ion beam (FIB) systems for the preparation of specimens from specific sites within the bulk material, FISCHIONE developed technology to enhance the quality of both conventional and FIB-prepared specimens. This yielded the Model 1040 NanoMill® TEM specimen preparation system, which was introduced in 2004. The NanoMill® system features ion energies as low as 50eV and a beam size as small as 1 micron. It allows specimens to be prepared without amorphization, implantation, or re-deposition. A secondary electron detector (SED) is used to image the ion-induced secondary electrons that are generated from the targeted area of the specimen. The Model 1040’s computer control and dedicated software yields ease of use, consistency, and reliable operation.

To take specimen preparation to the next level, Fischione Instruments launched three major new products in 2010.  The Model 1050 TEM Mill is a conventional ion milling system used for creating the thin, electron transparent specimens needed for TEM imaging and analysis.  It’s advanced TrueFocus (patent pending) ion sources, liquid nitrogen specimen cooling, double-sided milling to zero degrees, rapid specimen exchange, and programmability of the milling parameters make the Model 1050 an ideal system for preparing today’s advanced materials.

Applying TEM ion beam milling technology to SEM samples yielded the Model 1060 SEM Mill.  Leveraging much of the product technology contained in the TEM Mill, the Model 1060 SEM Mill serves a broad range of applications including semiconductors, enhancing surfaces for EBSD, as well as the rapidly expanding field of large scale imaging of geological samples.

Building upon the outstanding tradition of the Model 1020 Plasma Cleaner, the Model 1070 NanoClean was introduced.  The Model 1070 NanoClean utilizes plasma technology to automatically and quickly remove organic contamination (hydrocarbon) from electron microscopy specimens, specimen holders, and stubs.  The Model 1070 features an easy-to-use touchscreen interface, a large chamber for the processing of bulk objects, rapid throughput, and automated control of all process parameters.  The Model 1070 supports applications in both the life and physical sciences.

Today, FISCHIONE's products are found in over 500 research laboratories worldwide. End users are microscopists, materials scientists, metallurgists, and life scientists working at universities, semiconductor manufacturers, nuclear and medical materials research firms, steel, automotive, aerospace and communications companies, as well as branches of the United States Department of Defense and several national laboratories.

During FISCHIONE's existence, it has focused beyond the national market, competing on a worldwide basis. Products are sold direct in the U.S. and through a foreign distribution network. FISCHIONE’s products are represented in most major industrialized countries.