Agilent Updates EMPro Software

Agilent Technologies announced a new application available in the latest version of its EMPro modeling software. The new application lets researchers perform electromagnetic simulations to help interpret the experiments they do using scanning microwave microscopy (SMM).

SMM is an Agilent-exclusive technique that combines the electromagnetic measurements of a microwave vector network analyzer with the nanometer resolution and Angstrom-scale positioning of an atomic force microscope, the company says. The technique, which is fully compatible with Agilent's 5420, 5500 and 5600LS AFM systems, measures reflection-scattering parameters and corresponding electric properties of materials at the nanoscale in the frequency range of 1 to 20 GHz.

"When used in conjunction with scanning microwave microscopy, EMPro software can lead to a better understanding of a sample's underlying electromagnetic field distribution and corresponding physical properties such as complex impedance, permittivity and permeability," said Bill Volk, vice president, Nano Scale Sciences Division at Agilent.

According to Agilent, EMPro software complements SMM analysis software and permits more detailed investigations regarding 3D sample geometry, AFM tip diameter and shaft angle, and measurement frequency. Advanced SMM imaging modes and tip-sample retraction curves can also be modeled and investigated in more detail using EMPro.

SMM-enabled experiments result in calibrated complex impedance data, including capacitance and resistance images with resolution down to 10 nm. Users can perform measurements on a wide range of samples, spanning semiconductor technology, materials science, and the life sciences.

For more information, visit Agilent Technologies.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.