At the Microscopy & Microanalysis conference 2012 in Phoenix, Arizona, Carl Zeiss Microscopy is introducing an extension of its Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) platform MERLIN

Customers can now choose between the systems MERLIN Compact, MERLIN VP Compact and MERLIN and configure them individually. The Plug-and-Play feature allows the customer to add and change detectors with minimum effort to handle tasks ranging from simple image capture to extensive material analysis. A large frame store of 32k x 24k pixels allows imaging of very large areas. New features include in-situ 3D surface reconstruction and calculation of 3D data from 2D data. The new in-lens Duo detector offers both high resolution imaging and extensive materials information. MERLIN VP Compact allows for high-resolution imaging even of non-conductive samples without coating.

Two unique offerings broaden the application range of the MERLIN Platform: With the integration of an ultramicrotome directly into the vacuum chamber, automated serial blockface imaging of embedded samples (e.g. cells or tissue) becomes possible. Thus biological samples can be imaged three-dimensionally in voxels. By integrating an atomic force microscope (AFM) into the vacuum chamber enables atomic resolution imaging.

Michael Schweitzer, responsible for the FE-SEM Product Line, concludes: "Since the introduction of the MERLIN FE-SEM in 2010, we have received extremely positive customer feedback. The extension will now enable customers to configure their system even more effectively and specifically to current research requirements. The user can expand the system at any time to adapt it to changing requirements. What I am most excited about, however, is the ability to integrate either an atomic force microscope into the vacuum chamber for atomic resolution or an ultramicrotome for serial blockface imaging."

For more information, please visit www.zeiss.com/merlin