IEEE Detector Poster
October 25, 2009
This poster describes how capacitance and leakage current affect detector resolution and how peaking time and maximum count rate are related. It also shows resolution measurements from a prototype “XE140” detector, comparing those measurements with measurements from typical XE600 and an XPIN-6 detectors.
Download poster from here: NSS2009_poster_2 - Detector Poster.pdf
NSS2009 Detector Poster
Septemeber 25, 2009
Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) instrument manufacturers and research labs are continually pressing for x-ray components that enable higher performance at a lower cost. High performing x-ray detectors are critical to building quality instruments. Moxtek has improved the sensitivity of our Si-PIN detectors by using thicker diodes and thinner beryllium windows. The increased performance enables faster sample times, improved sensitivity, and expanded range of photon detection.
Download poster from here: NSS2009_poster_2 - Detector Poster.pptx
Miniature X-ray Sources Paper
Septemeber 25, 2009
Paper presented at the 58th Denver X-ray Conference, Colorado Springs, CO, July 2009. It highlights the key technical progression of miniature x-ray sources and demonstrates how these technical advances effect system level performance. X-ray spot characteristics, such as size, position and stability and their impact on system capabilities are discussed.
Download paper from here: Miniature X-Ray Sources and the Effects of Spot Size-web version.pdf
New BroadBand Wire-Grid Polarizer
June 12, 2009
Orem, UT
Moxtek (
www.moxtek.com )is launching the new
Ultra BroadBand (UBB01A) wire-grid polarizer, the only polarizer currently available with excellent optical performance from wavelengths in UV (250nm) through the visible out to the IR (>>3300nm). The UBB01A continues to build on Moxtek’s industry leadership supplying high quality inorganic wire-grid polarizers. This Ultra BroadBand polarizer represents a substantial improvement in range over the existing polarizer technology commercially available.
Wire-grid polarizers consist of an array of parallel wires arranged on a transparent substrate. When the wires are placed in the path of a light beam, one polarization of the light interacts with the array as a reflective metal field, the opposite polarization does not interact and is transmitted producing linearly polarized light. Moxtek creates the wire array structure on a variety of substrates. In order to expand the useful range from the UV (250nm) through the visible (450nm to 650nm) far out into the IR (>>3300nm) regions Moxtek’s standard manufacturing process was modified and the substrate was changed to fused silica.
Wire-grid polarizers have advantages in use of wide acceptance angles, and higher energy capacity when compared to other polarizers. The UBB01A polarizer is perfectly suited for use in extremely broadband applications that serve many different markets. Existing applications and markets include UV-VIS and FTIR spectroscopy, UV exposure, IR imaging, communications, astronomy, and other fields that use imaging or non-imaging polarimetry
For more information about Moxtek and the UBB01A polarizer, contact John Dredge at or call 801-225-0930.
Moxtek’s (
www.moxtek.com) expertise is in high-volume manufacturing of wire-grid polarizers and other nano-array structures. Its
wire grid polarizers are the industry standard for the liquid crystal projection display market. They are also used in consumer displays, scientific instruments, and industrial and military applications. The company provides polarizers ranging from the UV to LWIR. The wire grid microarray (WGM) is based on Moxtek’s wire grid polarizer. Moxtek is a fully owned subsidiary of
Polatechno, Ltd. of Japan.
New Wire-Grid Microarray Chip from Moxtek
May 27, 2009
Orem, UT
Moxtek (
www.moxtek.com), a nano-photonics company, today announced that it has reached a collaboration agreement with Philips Research to develop a new wire grid microarray chip (WGM) that has been designed to offer ultra-high surface specificity and excellent suppression of background signals. The WGM is based on a wire grid pattern on a glass substrate.
The WGM technology provides the potential for rapid quantitative detection with improved accuracy, of biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. In addition, the technology promises to significantly simplify the work flow and improve the reproducibility for such tests by removing the washing step and performing hybridization and detection in parallel. These strengths match with the needs for advanced microarray technology in life sciences research. Rapid molecular detection for life sciences research is a fast-growing market, and could revolutionize healthcare research.
The WGM is based on illumination of a grid of metal nanowires with polarized excitation light and detecting the fluorescence generated by fluorescently labeled target molecules bound to capture probes on the substrate between the metal nanowires. The detection volume is limited to ~20 nm above the surface, and can be controlled via the dimensions of the nanowires and the excitation wavelength. The surface specific detection of the WGM provides a significant reduction in microarray workflow by making redundant the chip washing step; moreover, it has been shown to allow monitoring the binding of bio-molecules to the substrate in real-time.
Control of the polarization state enables using the wire grid microarray concept for both highly surface specific measurements and “conventional” measurements where the measurement volume is determined by the optical set-up rather than the geometry of the wire grid. This versatile technique has been designed to be compatible with commercial optical microarray readers currently available on the market.
For more information please contact Jim Meyer at .
Moxtek’s (
www.moxtek.com) expertise is in high-volume manufacturing of wire-grid polarizers and other nano-array structures. Its
wire grid polarizers are the industry standard for the liquid crystal projection display market. They are also used in consumer displays, scientific instruments, and industrial and military applications. The company provides polarizers ranging from the UV to LWIR. The wire grid microarray (WGM) is based on Moxtek’s wire grid polarizer. Moxtek is a fully owned subsidiary of
Polatechno, Ltd. of Japan.
New Extreme Transmission Polarizer Now Available from Moxtek
Orem, UT
Moxtek has developed a low-cost, high-transmission polarizer for the pico-projector market, the
EXT series of polarizers. This polarizer has minimum transmission of 93% of polarized light with a contrast of around 50:1. This is a perfect pre-polarizer for pico-projector light engines that can also be used in a polarization recovery scheme.
All projection display systems that use liquid crystal microdisplays need as much polarized light as possible. Pico-projectors have an extreme need to use all of the light efficiently. The best way to use light more efficiently in these systems is through using the best polarization components possible.
Current liquid crystal based pico-projectors use an absorptive film polarizer as a pre-polarizer. The transmission and contrast over the visible spectrum are low. The transmission is less than 85% with contrast <100:1.
Moxtek’s expertise is in high-volume manufacturing of
wire-grid polarizers and other nano-array structures. Its wire grid polarizers are the industry standard for the liquid crystal projection display market. They are also used in consumer displays, scientific instruments, and industrial and military applications. The company provides polarizers ranging from the UV to LWIR. Moxtek is a fully owned subsidiary of
Polatechno, Ltd. of Japan.
Contact:
Jim Meyer
801-225-0930
.
Polatechno Aquires MOXTEK
January 27, 2004
In a move we see as aiding the development of the projection
supply chain, Polatechno Co. (Tokyo, Japan) (PLC) (www.polatechno.co.jp)
will acquire Moxtek Inc. (Orem, UT) (www.moxtek.com) by the
end of January, if approved by Moxtek shareholders. Polatechno
is a subsidiary of Nippon Kayaku Co. and makes polymer-based
polarizers for LCDs, including projection systems. Moxtek is
the sole developer of a wire-grid polarizer (WGP) technology
for polarization control and beamsplitters.
The WGP offers high performance and high-temperature operation
for polarization control and for beamsplitters - a feature that
is important in projection systems. It is gaining wide acceptance
as a pre-polarizer in LCD projection systems, especially systems
that output over about 2000 lumens. And, it is gaining design
wins in LCOS-based RPTVs, where the beamsplitter components
can produce a high-performance optical core.
The two companies have worked together for a while, with
Polatechno acting as a production and distribution partner for
the WGP components in Japan and China. The two companies will
now merge to form a new wholly owned subsidiary that will retain
the Moxtek name, as well as company personnel and facilities
in Orem, Utah. The value of the deal was not disclosed.
Moxtek also makes components for industrial X-ray analysis
equipment parts. "We are excited about the significant
technology which Moxtek has in the analytical instrumentation
field," said Sanji Arisawa, chairman of PLC. "We are
very impressed with their new products in handheld instrumentation
and the environmental market, as well as the traditional measurement
markets served by Moxtek's foundation products. We think that
the combination of these two leading-edge technologies positions
PLC to be a world leader in the analytical instrumentation field," concluded
Dr. Arisawa.
Moxtek was founded in 1986 and has had only one investor
(in 1993). For four of the past five years, Moxtek has achieved
double-digit growth while maintaining profitability. Over the
last year, it reported about $9.4M in sales and has about 60
employees.
Polatechno was established in July 1991 as a joint venture
between Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd and Arisawa Manufacturing Co.,
Ltd. PLC has developed specialized polarizers for LCD projector
applications optimized for R, G and B channels, respectively.
Front and rear LCD projectors require retarders as well as polarizers
in order to increase contrast and compensate for optical drawbacks.
PLC has more than 70% market segment share in this application.
PLC represents ColorLink Japan in distributing its products
in Asia. ColorLink Japan is a joint venture between ColorLink
(Boulder, Colorado) and Arisawa Manufacturing. The ColorLink
color management system is expected to play a significant role
in the LCOS display area.
Arisawa makes Fresnel screens for CRT-RPTVs and has about
a 50% global market share. It has nearly a 100% market share
for the A/R coating used on acrylic RPTV screens.
The acquisition of Moxtek will expand PLC's leadership in
polarization components used in business presentation and home
entertainment systems, as well as in Moxtek's industrial market
segment. As a result, Polatechno hopes to boost polarizer sales
to Y15B in fiscal 2007, up from a projected Y10B in fiscal 2003.
With the new corporate structure, Moxtek will have access
to the capital it needs to expand capacity to meet growing demand.
Currently it is using about one-third of its established capacity,
which netted about $3.4M in polarizer component sales in 2003.
Most Japanese LCD projector companies are sampling or using
these components in projectors already, with LCOS applications
starting to heat up. After 2004, Moxtek expects it will need
to add more capacity.
Over the next few months, Moxtek and PLC will be planning
this capacity expansion. This will involve the purchase of etchers,
coaters and patterning equipment. The new equipment will likely
be chosen to handle 8-inch wafers instead of the 6-inch wafers
used in the current foundry. The cost of this expansion to double
capacity is in the $5 to $10M range. Moxtek president and CEO
Glen Stewart says this manufacturing can be done in the US,
and done profitably.
Orem-based company plays key role in Mars missions
January 9, 2004
NASA's successful landing and deployment of the Mars rover
Spirit marks a significant milestone for Orem based MOXTEK™,
Inc. (MOXTEK). "This is the second time our products have
visited Mars and we anxiously await the landing of the third," stated
Jim Phillips, Vice President and X-ray Division Manager. "A
critical part of each Mars exploration mission is the scientific
data that is recorded and relayed back to NASA. Our x-ray window
products are a critical component of the alpha particle x-ray
spectrometer (APXS). The Sojourner rover which landed July 4,
1997 and transmitted through September 27, 1997 had an APXS
which utilized MOXTEK technology, and the two current rovers
(Spirit, which landed on Mars January 4, 2004 and is currently
exploring, and Opportunity, which is scheduled to land January
25, 2004) have similar instrumentation. The results achieved
by the Sojourner in 1997 were exciting, and we anticipate more
good results with the Spirit and Opportunity. Our international
partners at KETEK GmbH in Munich, Germany are pleased with the
success of the rovers," stated Mr. Phillips. NASA explains
the role of the APXS on their website as follows:
The APXS is designed to study the alpha particles and x-rays
emitted by rocks and soils in order to determine their elemental
chemistry. Alpha particles are emitted during radioactive decay
and X-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation, like light
and microwaves. The elemental composition of a rock describes
the amounts of different elements that have come together to
form all of the minerals within the rock. Knowing the elemental
composition of Martian rocks provides scientists with information
about the formation of the planet's crust, as well as any weathering
that has taken place.
Ms. Christine Roberts, the Windows Product Manager, states "The
patented Duraberyllium™ window product gives a significant performance
advantage to the spectrometer in both sensitivity and durability.
The window acts as a protective barrier against particles and
contaminates while allowing the x-rays to pass through to the
sensors. We are excited about the small part our company is
playing in furthering the American space program. The simple
fact that our products helped enable these early explorations
of Mars which are a precursor to President Bush's goal of human
missions to Mars is a privilege."
MOXTEK has worked since its inception in 1986 to develop
a reputation of excellence in the analytical x-ray industry.
Recently the company has also branched out into polarization
optics and has a technology critical to next-generation, rear-projection,
high-definition televisions. Mr. Phillips concludes, "We
have an excellent and diverse set of proprietary technologies
at MOXTEK. We believe we are positioned to be a major force
in all of our chosen markets."
MOXTEK has agreed to be acquired by Polatechno Ltd. (PLC)
of Tokyo, Japan in a transaction that must be ratified by MOXTEK
shareholders. "MOXTEK is excited about the potential to
expand its leading-edge technologies into new market areas with
PLC's strong manufacturing focus and successful worldwide marketing
activities. We feel that PLC will provide the support needed
to meet the rapid growth expected in the dynamic display market
and will maintain the service focus and independence in the
analytical components market," states Glenn Stewart, President
of MOXTEK.
PLC plans to retain the MOXTEK name, personnel and operating
facilities at their existing location in Orem, Utah. PLC will
also maintain and support MOXTEK's existing customer base in
both analytical instrumentation components and polarization
components. The combined company expects to expand MOXTEK's
market segment share in both served markets.