Using high-precision Photo-Electroforming technology, Tecan now offers grids for manufacturers and users of time-of-flight mass spectrometers, and for transmission/scanning electron microscopes
Further exploiting its high-precision Photo-Electroforming (PEF) technology, Tecan now offers grids for manufacturers and users of time-of-flight mass spectrometers, grids for transmission / scanning electron microscopes, and grids and meshes for similar instruments. Critical issues for users of the consumable parts are cost-effectiveness, and highly-accurate apertures and dividing bars - this is no problem for the PEF process, says the company. Grids can be produced, for example, with rectangular repeat cells, parallel slots / bars, or any required shape or combination of grid aperture and bar size.

The repeatably accurate apertures may feasibly be as small as 2 microns across to tolerances of +/- 1 micron.

Aspect ratios (the thickness of the grid compared to the aperture size) can be as high as 2:1.

The parts can be supplied to meet industry-standard requirements or cost-effectively customised for individual applications.

Typically, the burr and stress-free parts are manufactured from nickel, it is also possible to produce them in gold or copper.

Keeping manufacturing costs down, they are produced in a single process which can accommodate several grids at the same time.

In addition to grids, the company's PEF technology can produce similar parts such as graticules and reticles for applications which include optical instruments and cross-hair weapon sights.

Similarly the company can produce evaporation masks, which are used to fabricate a wide number of simple and complex micro-engineered electronic components and products in electronics, aerospace, automotive, medical and pharmaceutical markets.

A typical example being the evaporation-depositing of gold or silver contacts onto quartz crystal oscillator tracks and automotive thermocouples.

They are also used in sputtering and spray processes for the fabrication of similar components, as with displays, onto substrates such as silicon or glass, and for the deposition of a wide range of other surface finishes.

The Tecan R and D department is geared to solving the most challenging projects and welcomes joint-development initiatives to cost-effectively produce application-specific optimised parts.