NanoKTN's support facilitates research collaboration
between the University of Southampton and Oxford Instruments  

The Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network (NanoKTN), one of the UK's primary knowledge-based networks for Micro and Nanotechnologies, is pleased to announce the ongoing success of a collaboration between one its members Oxford Instruments and the University of Southampton. The partnership, which is creating the cutting-edge nanotechnology needed for smaller, low power devices, has enabled the UK-based company to develop its processes and improve capabilities, providing a vehicle to drive forward further commercialisation of the business.  

Oxford Instruments provides high technology tools and systems for industrial and research markets. This involves a combination of core technologies in areas such as advanced growth, deposition and etching, low temperature and high magnetic field environments, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, and X-ray electron and optical based metrology. The Company has formed a partnership with the School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) at the University of Southampton to expand its research capabilities and increase the processes it is able to offer to customers.

"This collaboration has been enormously beneficial to Oxford Instruments. We have 9 systems installed in the University's Nanofabrication Centre and our Process engineers have access to the University's equipment, in effect expanding our research facilities," explains Frazer Anderson, Business Development Director at Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology. "Working with the University of Southampton has enabled us to improve our products and promote ourselves better technically. One of our key objectives has been to pursue responsible development and deeper understanding of the world through science and technology. This collaboration with such a prestigious research University is just the type of activity that will achieve this end."

Dr Alec Reader, Director of the NanoKTN, was instrumental in facilitating the initial discussions between Oxford Instruments and the University of Southampton and has offered support and advice throughout the whole process.

Alec Reader comments, "By helping UK businesses like Oxford Instruments to improve their productivity through the use of expertise and technology found at academic bases we are helping to ensure the future of UK nanotechnology is securely embedded in the global market. We have worked with Oxford Instruments now for a long time and are delighted to see them going from strength to strength."

The NanoKTN is dedicated to facilitating the transfer of knowledge within industry and has helped many organisations strengthen business and generate connections. Oxford Instruments has worked with the NanoKTN since it was established and has attended many of the NanoKTN's events, using them as a key networking tool to generate sales leads.

Frazer Anderson adds, "The continued advice and support offered by the NanoKTN assisted us in finding a state-of-the-art research facility where we can promote our products and carry out research. The help offered by the NanoKTN's proactive staff and the information obtained from attending events has been extremely useful to us, and Alec Reader helped pave the way to making that first contact with the University."

Established by the Technology Strategy Board, the NanoKTN is managed by Centre for Process Innovation Ltd, a leading technology development and consulting company.
 
NanoKTN in profile
The NanoKTN facilitates the transfer of knowledge and experience between industry and research, offering companies dealing in small-scale technology access to information on new processes, patents and funding as well as keeping up-to-date with industry regulation. The four broad areas that the NanoKTN focuses on are: Promoting and facilitating knowledge exchange, supporting the growth of UK capabilities, raising awareness of Nanotechnology, and providing thought leadership and input to UK policy and strategy. For further information, view website: www.nanoktn.com

Knowledge Transfer Networks (KTNs), https://ktn.innovateuk.org/web/guest/networks have been set up by government, industry and academia to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and experience between industry and the science base. They bring together diverse organisations and provide activities and initiatives that promote the exchange of knowledge and the stimulation of innovation in these communities.

The first KTNs were set up in 2005 and the network continues to grow. They are active in sectors, technologies and market-based areas and they interact strongly with the government's Technology Programme and overall technology strategy.

CPI in profile
The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) was established by One NorthEast as a UK wide resource to stimulate and drive innovation within the Process Industry. Working with global industry partners and leading research universities CPI is committed to delivering world-class, groundbreaking applied research and development.

The Technology Strategy Board in profile
The Technology Strategy Board (www.innovateuk.org) is a business-led executive non-departmental public body, established by the government. Its role is to promote and support research into, and development and exploitation of, technology and innovation for the benefit of UK business, in order to increase economic growth and improve the quality of life.

Oxford Instruments plc in profile
Oxford Instruments aims to pursue responsible development and deeper understanding of our world through science and technology.  We provide high technology tools and systems for industrial and research markets, based on our ability to analyse and manipulate matter at the smallest scale. Innovation has been the driving force behind Oxford Instruments' growth and success for over 50 years, and its strategy is to effect the successful commercialisation of these ideas by bringing them to market in a timely and customer-focused fashion. For further information, view website: www.oxford-instruments.com  Refer to page 300

Ocean Optics XR-Series spectrometers cover ~200-1050 nm wavelengths

Miniature spectroscopy pioneer Ocean Optics has expanded the wavelength capabilities of several of its popular miniature fibre optic spectrometers. The XR-Series, available for the USB2000+, JAZ-EL2000, and USB4000, covers all wavelengths from ~200-1050 nm with the convenience and affordability of a single, monolithic spectrometer.

The new XR-1 grating option developed by Ocean Optics overcomes the traditional challenges of providing broad UV-NIR coverage in a single miniature spectrometer. With a 500 lines/mm density, the grating delivers high performance at a budget-friendly price, without increasing the system footprint. The XR-1 grating is available pre-configured in the USB2000+, JAZ-EL2000, and USB4000 and may also be added as an option to custom-built systems.

The XR-Series spectrometers deliver an optical resolution of ~2.0 nm (FWHM). Ocean Optics' proprietary order-sorting filter is applied directly to the detector to eliminate second- and third-order effects. The 25 µm slit on the preconfigured units delivers good optical resolution for most applications. XR-Series spectrometers are a convenient single-instrument solution for setups where both UV-VIS and VIS-NIR measurements are needed, and are well suited to measurement of samples with response across the entire wavelength range, such as solar irradiance, atomic emission line measurement and some plasma applications.

To learn more about XR-Series spectrometers, view website: www.OceanOptics.eu   Refer to next page

Latest analytical gas generation systems from Parker Hannifin

Parker Hannifin Ltd, the global leader in motion and control technologies, showcased its latest analytical gas generation systems at the Arablab exhibition in Dubai this year. The products shown at this major exhibition included high performance hydrogen, nitrogen and dry air generators, which have been developed to improve the productivity and profitability of laboratories working in areas such as life sciences, chemical analysis and spectroscopy.

Parker's latest range of innovative high purity analytical nitrogen generation systems, incorporates the latest pressure swing adsorption and membrane fibre technology respectively, and substantially reduce the cost of gas in the laboratory. The compact, self contained generators, each with a small footprint, are fully automatic, simple and safe to set up and use, and incorporate reliable, low-maintenance technology giving a long, trouble-free operating life. Systems provide an optimum range of flow rates and purities expressly suitable for LC/MS applications, especially Applied Biosystems and Agilent Technologies instruments.

The Parker nitrogen generators that employ proven pressure swing adsorption (PSA) technology utilise extruded aluminium modular columns that are filled with a high performance carbon molecular sieve to adsorb oxygen and moisture from a compressed air supply. The larger nitrogen molecules pass through each sieve to a buffer vessel, where the nitrogen can be supplied at carefully controlled pressures. The surface area of the carbon molecular sieve material and the resultant contact time of the compressed air with the carbon molecular sieve, give rise to flow rate and purity.

The Parker nitrogen generators that employ novel hollow fibre membrane technology separate air into nitrogen and oxygen enriched streams via unique nano-porous polymeric material. The pre-filtered clean dry air is separated, yielding high purity nitrogen suitable for a wide variety of applications within the life science, chemical analysis and spectroscopy market sectors.

Similarly, the latest hydrogen gas generators from Parker have been developed to produce a safe, controlled and precise flow of ultra high purity hydrogen for chromatography, chemical adsorption, organic synthesis and atomic spectroscopy applications.

Parker hydrogen generators utilise proven separation techniques based on proton exchange, via specially developed proton exchange membranes. Such technology provides an extremely efficient method of separating hydrogen from water, offering levels of purity up to >99.9999%, with flow rates between 100 and 1100 ml/min.

Parker hydrogen generators offer a safe, cost-effective and reliable alternative to high pressure hydrogen, helium and nitrogen cylinders that are commonly used in today's laboratory workflows, particularly for gas chromatography fuel and carrier gas applications.

Parker also offer the new zero air generator range that utilises core platinum catalyst technology to produce clean dry hydrocarbon free air. An external supply of compressed air is pre-filtered and passed through a heated platinum catalyst module whereupon the air stream is oxidised, removing organic impurities. The resulting hydrocarbon free air stream lowers the signal to noise ratio, ensuring a flat constant base line with no peaks or fluctuations. Each system is stackable with selected hydrogen generators to form a gas station suitable for all known GC combustion detectors.

The pictures show the four models available in  the UK now.

For more information, view website: http://www.parker.com or its investor information website: http://www.phstock.com  Refer to page 382