I just returned from Santa Clara, California and the NSTI Nanotech 2007 Conference.  Agilent was a gold level sponsor this year with a booth that showed our breadth of offering with bioanalyzers, dielectric analyzers, semiconductor analyzers, and our new MAC III mode on the atomic force microscopes.  In case you missed the show, I inserted a picture of the booth.

Dr. Darlene Solomon, Director of Agilent Labs, gave the keynote speech on Thursday morning.  She talked about how measurements enable us to make breakthroughs in technology which in turn helps us develop better products including new measurement instruments–and the cycle repeats.  She gave some great examples of measurement breakthroughs that have increased resolution and precision by 10x, 100x, and even 1000x.  Nanotechnology is a convergence of electronics, chemistry, biology, and materials science operating at a scale that requires higher resolution measurements.  The breakthroughs will be outstanding and the metrology will need to support those breakthroughs.  “If you can’t measure it … you can;t improve it.” 

The breadth of the work being done in nanotechnology is really amazing.  I sat through papers describing new techniques that will help us dramatically reduce the size of semiconductor electronics.  I saw keynote speakers talk about some very exciting developments in the area of energy including some very important ways we should increase electrical efficiency.  I saw some exciting work being done in disease detection and tissue engineering that will improve our lives in the not too distant future.  We are living in exciting times. 

For those that attended, what were your impressions? 

The NSTI Nanotech 2007 Conference opens on May 21st in the Santa Clara Convention Center.  Agilent will be there on the show floor and giving papers in the sessions.  It’s a good opportunity to see the latest nanoscale measurement products.  Drop by and ask those tough questions in person.

If you are characterizing the the electrical properties of nanoscale devices, check out a new type of instrument called the DC power analyzer.  It’s more than just a bench power supply.  I haven’t used one but those that have tell me you can quickly set it up to output sequences of voltages or currents.  It has a built-in voltmeter and digitizer that can monitor the output voltage and current from each channel, store this data, and display a graph of voltage and current versus time on the color display. 

 Why should you care?  If you are really trying to understand how much power your device draws you can now see this with one instrument.  If you want to do more than just output a simple voltage or current, you have that flexibility as well.  And if you need to vary the voltage and/or current you can do that without writing a program.  It even documents all the readings. 

What doesn’t it do?  It will never replace a high performance multimeter because the power analyzer monitors voltage and current into the device - not out of the device.  You need a multimeter for that. 

It also doesn’t replace a semiconductor or impedance analyzer.  A semiconductor analyzer is a source / measure unit but it provides much higher precision than a power analyzer.  And the power analyzer isn’t going to give you the precision of an impedance analyzer either. 

The power analyzer is a new concept but its based on proven technologies.  Let me know if you have some additional thoughts.  I think it might be a good choice the next time you are looking for a flexible power supply.

To see more information - go to http://www.home.agilent.com/agilent/redirector.jspx?action=ref&cname=PRODUCT&ckey=1123271&cc=US&lc=eng

In nanotechnology research the sample sizes of chemical mixtures are quite small.  It’s important to do a thorough analysis of this small sample as efficiently as possible.  Flow splitting - sending the sample to multiple detectors - is an important measurement technique in gas chromatography.  The technique provides the most information possible in a single run.  The technique allows you to locate peaks of interest faster and provides higher confidence in identifying unknowns in the sample. 

 The new Agilent 7890A Gas Chromatograph uses flow splitting for fast sample characterization.  It makes use of capillary flow technology for channels with low dead volumes.  I believe the combination of these techniques will be a key for the nanotechnology researcher.