Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: FEI and Imago Scientific Instruments Announce Collaboration

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Abstract:
FEI Company (Nasdaq: FEIC) and Imago Scientific Instruments today announced a comprehensive collaboration on the distribution and marketing of Imago's LEAP™ product line. The arrangements allow for FEI to establish an equity position in Imago and the option to purchase Imago in the future.

FEI and Imago Scientific Instruments Announce Collaboration

HILLSBORO, OR and MADISON, WI | Posted on April 14th, 2008

The alliance combines FEI's leadership in providing tools for nanoscale exploration and discovery with Imago's leadership in providing innovative and commercially viable atom probe technology. Imago's LEAP atom probe enhances the breadth of FEI's offerings and compliments FEI's current transmission electron microscope (TEM) and DualBeam™ focused ion-beam/scanning electron microscope (FIB/SEM) product lines.

Imago pioneered, and is the market leader, in atom probe microscopy. Its LEAP product line is used worldwide for the study of advanced materials, semiconductors and data storage devices. Imago's LEAP design enables fast and comprehensive analysis of materials at the atomic scale. The LEAP technique offers the unique combination of high compositional sensitivity in the parts-per-million (ppm) range and atomic resolution imaging in three dimensions.

Imago's LEAP microscopes are complementary to TEMs such as the FEI Titan™ Family. In addition, sample preparation for both TEM and the atom probe is enabled by DualBeam tools, which FEI invented 15 years ago. FEI is the world's leading supplier of both TEM and DualBeam platforms.

"We are delighted to join forces with Imago, as we believe its products and technology will enable FEI to further expand the horizons of imaging and analysis at the atomic scale," stated Don Kania, President and CEO of FEI. "Our global sales team is excited about introducing Imago's products to our worldwide customer base, and we believe that the alliance will provide benefits to all parties."

Tom Kelly, CEO, CTO and founder of Imago added, "With the technology having evolved to the point where there is now a large universe of practical applications, the next step is for us to enhance our ability to deliver complete application solutions. Our customers are using the Imago atom probe together with FEI TEM and DualBeam platforms. By working with FEI, we are able to innovate, optimize and provide the full solution to the customer's problem. For Imago, the new partnership is part of the evolution from being an instrumentation provider to a solution provider."

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About FEI Company
FEI (Nasdaq: FEIC) is the world leader in pioneering technologies and applications that deliver imaging solutions for 3D characterization, analysis and modification/prototyping with resolutions down to the sub-Ångström level. Our customers, working in advanced research and manufacturing, are supported by field-experienced applications specialists. They have open access to FEI’s prestigious global user network so they can succeed in accelerating nanoscale discovery and contribute to better living through new product commercialization. FEI’s NanoPorts in North America, Europe and Asia provide centers of technical excellence where our world-class community of customers and specialists collaborate on the ongoing development of new ideas and innovative solutions. FEI has sales and service operations in more than 50 countries around the world. More information can be found at: www.fei.com.

About Imago Scientific Instruments

Imago is a world class provider of metrology and analysis equipment serving the microelectronic and general research markets. We are committed to the development of the nanotechnology solutions required as the semiconductor, data storage and advanced materials industries increasingly enter the realm of nanotechnology. Imago provides time-to-market advantages to our customers through leading edge technology in the field of three-dimensional, nanoscale, metrology and analysis equipment. Our focus on and funding of advanced technology, together with our network of industrial collaborations, ensures that we continue to accelerate the development of these empowering metrology techniques. Imago was formed in 1998 and is based in Madison, Wisconsin. More information can be found at: www.imago.com.

FEI Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements about the expected benefits from an alliance between FEI and Imago and the capabilities of Imago’s products and technology. Factors that could affect these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to the performance of the Imago products, the ability of FEI and Imago to collaborate effectively, Imago’s ability to deploy its technology into its products, the ability of FEI to sell Imago products, the competitive landscape, product and technological developments and general economic conditions. Please also refer to the company's Form 10-K, Forms 10-Q, Forms 8-K and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for additional information on these factors and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. FEI assumes no duty to update any forward- looking statements.

The FEI logo, DualBeam and Titan are trademarks of FEI Company, and Imago and LEAP are trademarks of Imago Scientific Instruments.

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Contacts:
FEI Company
Dan Fineberg (media)
Corporate Communications
+1-503-726-7698

or
Fletcher Chamberlin (investors and analysts)
Investor Relations
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or
Imago Scientific Instruments
Jason Schneir
Corporate Marketing
+1-608-274-6880

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