Thermo Fisher Scientific accelerates nanometer-scale research with next-generation Apreo 2

Thermo Fisher Scientific has unveiled its next-generation Thermo Scientific Apreo 2 Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), a high-performance field emission SEM that takes automation to the next level, offering easy-to-obtain nanometer-scale information at a range of working distances and operating conditions. The Apreo 2 was designed to help investigators, SEM operators and lab managers deliver expert results, regardless of experience level.

Apreo 2 integrates Thermo Fisher's groundbreaking ColorSEM technology, enabling researchers to view and analyze live color images directly within the SEM user interface (UI) without switching to conventional Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis software. Using Apreo 2, researchers can obtain elemental data almost instantly, quickly identifying areas of interest for further exploration.

"Apreo 2 is the most advanced SEM platform on the market, enabling companies and universities to accelerate their nanometer-scale research," said Rosy Lee, vice president of materials science at Thermo Fisher. "By integrating ColorSEM into the Apreo 2, we've designed it for researchers to view and analyze meaningful elemental content differentiated by color directly from within the SEM UI and acquire elemental data up to 10 times faster than was possible with conventional techniques."

The SEM is designed to keep itself always aligned and ready to image with improved stability and SmartAlign automation, allowing researchers to focus on their sample work, not on the microscope. In addition, the Apreo 2 features new auto-focus, auto-stigmator and auto-lens alignment technology - each intended to reduce the need for training and enable any user to obtain high-quality results.

"Advanced automation on the Apreo 2 allows us to focus on characterizing materials and processes for 3D printing tissue scaffolds and studying bone regeneration instead of microscope performance," said Kurt Langworthy, director of CAMCOR at the University of Oregon. "The instrument is intuitive to use, reducing time required for training users. What's more, the high throughput opens up the instrument to more students across our sciences, giving them the high-quality structural and elemental data they need to advance their research."

Apreo 2 is the first SEM on the market with a 1.0-nanometer resolution at a 10-millimeter working distance. This allows users to acquire high-quality images without worrying about microscope components colliding or damaging the sample. High-resolution imaging at long working distance also enables users to pair the best imaging conditions with optimized analytical data collection.

Advancements to Apreo 2 include improved imaging performance, compared to the Apreo 1, at very low beam energies, making it applicable for nanomaterials, polymers and hydrated samples. Finally, improvements at higher beam currents allow for higher-contrast imaging, and improved analytical throughput, compared to the Apreo 1, and when combined with ColorSEM, scientists can generate analytical results even faster than the Apreo 1.

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