Free Of Charge AZtec suite upgrades

• AZtec 6.3 will be the first software release available to existing users for free.
• A ‘System Readiness Check’ is now built into the AZtec installer, which will check whether the system is suitable for the software upgrade.

New RISE navigator in AZtec

• First RISE-focused workflow within AZtec, enhancing integration with AZtec analytics and promoting use of other EM tools.
• Combines Live Chemical Imaging and Unity-based workflows for streamlined EM and RISE analysis and easier navigation to regions of interest.

EDS

• HTML Project Report - Designed for users who want a quick export of all EDS data in a project.
• New AutoPhaseMap – With improved algorithm and workflow designed to improve phase determination and usability.
• Auto retraction – Option to auto retract single Ultim detector when software closes.
• Capabilities of the Symmetry S3 detector.

EDS Feature

• Selected element deconvolution with conditional criteria.
• An option to permanently delete Features that do not pass morphology or EDS filters.
• FeaturePhase - with New APM algorithm implemented for Feature
• Ranking – New classification criteria option. Allowing weight % ranking on a selected element

Cartography Mode

• Now available for EDS as well as BEX.
• Magic Wand selection for Cartography Mode. This new feature enables users to easily select an irregular region for a cartography run, with a single click.

BEX

• BEX users will now be able to view and process QuantMap and QuantLine Data via the detector chooser.
• AutoPhaseMap step now available in the BEX navigator.
• Auto retraction - Unity detector option to retract after completion of an automated run.

EBSD

• Auto retraction of CMOS EBSD detector after a TKD/EBSD map and an automated run.

General AZtec

• Batch Export - The ‘New Batch Export’ functionality that was trialled in 6.2 SP1 has now officially been released in 6.3 and far exceeds the capabilities of the previous version.
• Control of font and colour of acquisition annotation is now possible.

This release is comprised predominantly by bug fixes

•  We have however, reintroduced the ‘Save’ button in the Live Chemical Imaging step, which allows the site of interest to be saved after the maps have been allowed to integrate for a period of time.
•  We have also introduced an insertion warning for Unity detectors, to help users check that there are no obstruction present before inserting the detector

New RISE navigator in AZtec

• First RISE-focused workflow within AZtec, enhancing integration with AZtec analytics and promoting use of other EM tools.
• Combines Live Chemical Imaging and Unity-based workflows for streamlined EM and RISE analysis and easier navigation to regions of interest.

EDS

• HTML Project Report - Designed for users who want a quick export of all EDS data in a project.
• New AutoPhaseMap – With improved algorithm and workflow designed to improve phase determination and usability.
• Auto retraction – Option to auto retract single Ultim detector when software closes.
• Capabilities of the Symmetry S3 detector.

EDS Feature

• Selected element deconvolution with conditional criteria.
• An option to permanently delete Features that do not pass morphology or EDS filters.
• FeaturePhase - with New APM algorithm implemented for Feature.
• Ranking – New classification criteria option. Allowing weight % ranking on a selected element

Cartography Mode

• Now available for EDS as well as BEX.
• Magic Wand selection for Cartography Mode. This new feature enables users to easily select an irregular region for a cartography run, with a single click.

BEX

• BEX users will now be able to view and process QuantMap and QuantLine Data via the detector chooser.
• AutoPhaseMap step now available in the BEX navigator.
• Auto retraction - Unity detector option to retract after completion of an automated run.

EBSD

• Auto retraction of CMOS EBSD detector after a TKD/EBSD map and an automated run.

General AZtec

• Batch Export - The ‘New Batch Export’ functionality that was trialled in 6.2 SP1 has now officially been released in 6.3 and far exceeds the capabilities of the previous version.
• Control of font and colour of acquisition annotation is now possible.

Support for the Ultim Max infinity and Ultim Max Extreme infinity detectors https://nano.oxinst.com/ultim-max-infinity

• The Ultimate solution for nano-characterisation and light element detection
  •  New Extreme II low noise electronics with guaranteed C resolution of ≤ 46 eV @ 50,000 cps
• The Ultimate solution for the most accurate analysis
  • New Tru-Q® IQ with individual characterisation and optimisation of every detector for the most accurate AutoID, quantitative analysis and mapping
• The Ultimate solution for high count rate mapping of micro-structures
  • Automatically remove high count rate pulse pile-up artefacts for mapping in seconds that reflects real element variation

Support for the CMOS NA-TKD hardware https://nano.oxinst.com/na-tkd

• Near-Axis TKD (NA-TKD) is a new, innovative solution which offers an order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity compared to our existing off-axis solution and extends the capabilities of the Symmetry S3 detector

Update to AZtecPharma and AZtecAudit https://nano.oxinst.com/aztecpharma

• AZtecPharma is now compatible with the latest release of AZtecLive
  • Any existing combined AZtecPharma/AZtecLive installs can now both be updated to 6.2
• This release also contains a new Inspector program with database backup and archiving tools
  • Existing audit trail will be visible in the new program
• Inspector users will now be able to take advantage of the new reporting facility, which no longer relies on Microsoft Office
  • Audit trail is exported as a read only PDF

Release of AZtecAsbestos https://nano.oxinst.com/application-detail/forensics-and-environment/asbestos

• AZtecAsbestos is a machine-learning based approach which seeks to separate fibres as viewed in electron images in order to allow correct analysis and reporting of the asbestos content of samples from contaminated sites 

AZtecWave – New functionality

• Although our WDS product has recently been withdrawn (See SaM 457), we still have new functionality contained in this release (which will be last new functionality for Wave) 
• AutoLock Drift Correction is now available for WDS maps and can be accessed in the same way as for EDS and EBSD

Unity Topo Mode

• Topo Modes: Unity BSE now have four operating modes that could be found in the Unity BSE setting tab 
  • Compo Mode: Conventional BSE mode providing z-atomic number contrast 
  • Topo Modes: 1 and 2: provides topographical information of the sample 
  • Inverted Mode: is an inversion of the Compo mode image better

Misc. New Functionality

• AZtecGeo
  • AZtecGeo is a tailored version of the AZtecFeature particle analysis platform that is fully optimised to characterise all aspects of minerals and analyse their composition
• Oblique LineScan
  • Users will now have the capability to reconstruct variable thickness linescans from existing SmartMap data from any angle
• New Batch Export
  • Included in the 6.2 release is a beta version of the New Batch Export functionality. It will initially be hidden from general users until it has fully replaced all functionality in the existing batch export facility
  • It will however be offered to users who require some of the new capabilities that it contains, such as batch export of EMSA data from EDS spectra and the batch export of FSE images for EBSD
  • The new functionality can be activated by running a registry program “batchexport.” Once this has been done, a new option will appear in the right click menu on the data tree
• Montage Image resolution increase
  • Due to the increased capability to generate large LAMs quickly, we have now increased the upper limit of the montaged image resolution to 20Kx20K (For both Image and x-ray maps)
  • The default resolution will stay at 8Kx8K, but users will have the option to increase if they wish
• User selectable decimal places for quantitative analysis results is now available 
• Feature data extraction is now available from Unity/Ultim datasets
• Updates to H5OINA Export
  • Users can now export the EDS SmartMap or SmartLine gaining access to all raw data. This is an upgrade on the raw export as the H5OINA also contains metadata information
  • Users can now export FSD images, to the EBSD Data group
  • A Mixing mode attribute for BSE electron images contains tomography mode information

AZtec no longer supports Windows 7

• This release is not supported on windows 7

AZtec 6.2 will be the last AZtec version supporting Nordlys EBSD hardware

Oi View-New Features https://nano.oxinst.com/Oiview

Oi View can now:

• Send customers notifications via email or as push notifications
• Provide customers access to the latest relevant applications notes in Oi Library
• Provide customers with the latest product news through our messaging service

This release contains mainly bug fixes

There is however one piece of new functionality:

• Auto brightness functionality for TruMaps and QuantMaps

And some new demo data:

• Unity demo data Updated Live Chemical Imaging Step

Support for Unity Detectors:

Two new licenses have been introduced (only available with a Unity system)

• BEX Technique with imaging navigator
• Cartography Mode
• Help video available in step to show users how to get the best out of the step

Updated Live Chemical Imaging Step

• The Live Chemical Imaging steps in both AZtecLive and AZtecLiveOne have adopted the default layout changes from the BEX imaging step
• They have also benefited from the improvements in both the ergonomics and performance
• There are updated help videos to show users how to use and get the best out of the step

AZtecMineral Performance Improvements

AZtecMineral is a mineralogy-dedicated piece of software based on AZtecFeature. It uses mineral-specialised image processing to determine what to analyse in each field of view that it visits.

• In previous versions of AZtecMineral, it took >40 seconds for image processing at the end of an image scan before EDS acquisition starts
• In the new version, the speed of image processing has been significantly improved
• EDS acquisition starts almost instantly (<2s) after an image is scanned. It greatly increases the productivity of a large area run
• GA2-General performance improvement and bug fixes
• New versions of AZtecMineral and GA2 are FREE to update to all existing customers with AZtecMIneral license. New installers can be downloaded from the folder of Tools & Utils\AZtecMineral in the downloading link of AZtec6.1 SP1

New AZtecWave Functionality

WDS Mapping

• A new, specifically designed guided workflow for:
  • Acquiring one or more element maps with WDS (e.g., trace elements)
  • And at the same collecting EDS elemental maps

Point Automation

• For automated WDS and EDS data collection from defined stage positions (individual or lines of stage positions)

New Automation Functionality in EDS/WDS

• AZtec now includes functionality for automated EDS and WDS data acquisition from defined stage positions
• The area types that can be defined and queued up are:
  • Individual stage positions (i.e., X-Y-Z positions)
  • Lines of stage positions - with a set number of points or spacing

New Calculate Composition Step in EDS/WDS

• New step means that users working on multiple datasets can change parameters without having to go into settings, and when they do, they will see data automatically updated
• In addition, users who want to monitor the change in elemental distributions over an interface where the series of points are acquired via the new point automation will be able to view and process their data

New AZtecMatch Functionality in EDS

• Capability to automatically identify the sample being analysed based on the acquiring or acquired spectrum
• Matches quant results against a set of stored standards in either a factory or user database
• Match based on Quant results so acquisition conditions do not have to be replicated in order for match to work

Enhancements to Live Chemical Imaging Step in EDS/WDS

• Improving automatic functions (Auto B/C and AutoLayer) increases the likelihood that users will get a vibrant and informative live layered image after pressing the Start button
• Addition of TruMap 
• Custom Save – Single frame SOI acquisition with custom acquisition settings, image and maps acquired simultaneously  

New “Optimize Experiment” Navigator Step in AZtecHKL

• Predefined default settings depending on the desired type of analysis (fast, precise, HR etc.)
• Combining the “Optimize EBSP” and “Optimize Solver” steps into one
• Dynamic feedback workflow to help users to find the best detector and solver settings for their experiment
• New data metrics highlight the impact of any setting change on the dataset quality
• Optimize Experiment will help:
  • New Users to collect appropriate quality EBSD data with minimal experience
  • Expert Users to optimise the performance of the system and to plan experiments better

New workflow and functionality in MapSweeper (AZtecCrystal) 

• New workflow simplifies routine pattern matching reanalyses – load master simulation - autocalibrate - select sweep actions - reanalyse!
• New pattern masking and weighting improves pattern matching performance for all datasets, but especially:
  • Patterns with shadows (incl. 3D)
  • TKD data
  • Magnetic field corrected data
• Storage of processed data now includes all MapSweeper settings
• AZtecCrystal also has improvements to data export and batch processing

New Functionality in AZtecFeature

• Addition of in-interface display of termination criteria in Recipe summary
• Updated “Type Selective” Classification Scheme for AZtecGSR
• Improvements to Feature scatter plot
• Nitrides added to Ternary plots 
• Linked grey level thresholds for multi-grey level Features
• Reporting
  • Steel inclusion results table – GE specification
  • Average elemental composition per class table – China steel customer request
  • D10/D50/D90 particle sizing plot – required for AM applications
  • Table showing the largest particles in a dataset – multiple applications
  • Updated run summary table – multiple customer requests
  • Colour key for montage Feature image
  • Improvement of AZtecClean particle size distribution table

New Functionality in AZtecFeature

• LayerProbeONE + Spectrum Synthesis
  • Single layer version of LayerProbe (only measures one coating or layer on a substrate)
  • Spectrum Synthesis for a single layer OR a bulk sample
  •           Use to optimise experiments in advance
  •           See blog Determining detection limits using simulated spectra Here

New ‘Live Chemical Imaging’ step

• All users with the current ‘Live’ step will automatically see it replaced with the new ‘Live Chemical Imaging’ (LCI) when they update to AZtecLive 6.0
• Existing ‘Live’ users will see an instant transformation in:
• How easy LCI is to setup
• How quickly they obtain a useful and informative layered image
• The range of samples they can analyse
• The range of conditions that they can use LCI in
• The speed and image quality when moving around the sample has been transformed

Replacement of AZtec database for new Microsoft supported database

• The current database used by AZtecLive 5.1 and earlier versions is no longer supported by Microsoft. (This database is fundamental to the operation of AZtec and enables it to save and access the huge amounts of data saved within an AZtec project)
• AZtec 6.0 now comes with a new database, which is supported by Microsoft
• This means that any customers that have a policy on unsupported Microsoft products, may refuse to allow an AZtecLive system on site, or if they do, then it will have to remain off their network.
• This database also has the advantage that it is much more stable over network connections
• AZtecLive projects can now be saved and loaded  over a network connection (although we would still recommend that saving to the hard disk is safer)

EBSD Enhancements

• Improved EBSD Pattern Saving
• Saving EBSPs is now much faster (~90% of maximum detector speed on SDD drives)
• Unprocessed EBSPs (e.g. for CrossCourt HR EBSD work) are now stored in a single *.uebsp file – much easier to handle
• Improved *.h5oina file export
• Datasets with stored EBSPs can now have the EBSPs exported within the *.h5oina file
• Refined Accuracy Improvements
• Faster analysis speeds using RA (~2x speed improvement for all detector modes)
• Improved “Phase Grouping” functionality
• Phase Grouping (use of Kikuchi band widths to rank indexing solutions) now applicable for Optimized band detection as well as Standard band detection (although the latter is still the recommended approach)
• New band width voting system in place – provides more robust phase discrimination
• Dislocation Analysis:
• New licensed viewing mode
• Included with AZtecCrystal Advanced Processing (with all new Advanced / Automated AZtecHKL packages)

New functionality and support for AZtecWave

• This functionality harnesses the high spectral resolution of the Wave spectrometer to:
  
• Provide clear visualisation and identification of elements that are not clear/visible in an EDS spectrum, either because there are peak overlaps in the EDS spectrum or the elements are present in trace concentrations and not detected by EDS
  
• WDS Scan enables:
  
• Trace elements and/or those affected by peak overlaps to be positively identified
  
• Informs quantitative compositional measurements via WDS (+/- EDS) in AZtecWave

AZtecFeature

• A new classification scheme in AZtecBattery
  
• Developed based on customer feedback – extending the range of materials that can be classified in this key and growing application
• See the AZtecBattery product manual on OneDrive for details
• An improved version of the Inclusion Classifier post-processing software for AZtecSteel including:
• An update to the “Pirelli Method” of classification of inclusions in tire cords and a new method of classifying inclusions by their position in a ternary plot
• See the AZtecSteel product manual on OneDrive for details
• The ability to export Feature data to the H5OINA format
• See the AZtecFeature product manual on OneDrive for details

AZtecHKL Main Developments:

• New “TKD Map” Navigator, fully optimised for transmission Kikuchi diffraction analyses
• New shadow mask tool in Optimize EBSP

Significant Changes:

• Renaming band detection techniques:
• "EBSD Optimized” is now renamed “Standard BD” – this is not recommended unless using Phase Grouping. This is not available in the TKD Map navigator
• “TKD Optimized” is now renamed “Optimized BD” - recommended for all applications (except when enhanced angular precision is required with “Refined Accuracy”

Bug fixes:

• Phase ranking if indexing results are identical is now the same as the order of phases in the phase list (previously it was reverse order)
• Phase reflector settings in Optimize Solver are now implemented correctly, ensuring results between Optimize Solver and Subsequent data collection are in agreement

AZtec WDS

• Beam stability – a new step has been included in WDS/Spectrometer Setup to measure and evaluate the stability of the beam
• Peak search improvements – the peak search routine in WDS/Standardize has been improved so that a slower scan will be performed if a peak is not found in the first narrow pass scan
• Crystal-Line selection – the user can now select different crystal-line
• Options in WDS/Quant/Acquire and WDS/Standardize/Acquire
• this means the user can now choose to measure element lines on different crystals

Bug fixes:

• Fixes have been made relating to WDS quant reporting and some additional instructions have been added relating to operation of the gate valve and the use of peak energies/slit positions obtained from measured standards

First release of AZtecWave

• Introduction of WDS capability into the AZtec platform and combines it with AZtecLive EDS speed to produce the worlds most accurate elemental analysis system on the SEM for those challenging applications where EDS on its own is not enough
• This product introduces new workflows designed for combined EDS and WDS analysis to make the technique accessible to all levels of users
• It uniquely uses EDS to automatically set-up the analysis to ensure the right results are achieved in the fastest possible time
• It uses the Wave spectrometer the only EPMA-WDS type spectrometer available for the SEM with real WDS spectral resolution and trace element detection capability

Support for Symmetry S2
Release of AZtecCrystal 2.0

• AZtec Battery
• New Steel classification scheme
• Spectrum Examiner
• Bug Fixes
• AZtec - Autolock Maintain Subject Size inconsistent behaviour - Fixed
• AZtec - Crashing with the new Firebird card - Fixed
• AZtec - Feature run stops and locks up AZtec - Fixed
• AZtecLive Step – Adding an element map while in ‘integration mode’ crashes AZtec - Fixed
• AZtec - IT300HR Eucentric stage can't get tilt axis info - Fixed

• Bug fixes
• An issue with the assisted thresholding (wand) functionality that creates incorrect grey level thresholds
• An issue with second pass imaging of particles within overlap zones between fields meaning that particles were not detected properly.

• AZtecCrystal
• Support for Xplore 15 detectors
• New Versions of AZtecMineral and GrainAlyser

Bug Fixes

• AZtec - Compare Spectra function, when you are comparing multiple spectra, if you remove one or more using the "remove spectrum" button and then attempt to add more spectra to the comparison via the "Add Selected Spectra" button you will clear the display and only the new spectra selected will be displayed - Fixed
• AZtec - AZtec sends incorrect pixel size to Mineral database, it results all the morphology measurements in GA2 are wrong - Fixed
• AZtecCrystal - Scrolling (zooming) in and out on ODF view tab with mouse causes crash - Fixed
• AZtecCrystal - Crash when saving a rectangular subset as new project – Fixed

• AZtecICE
• AZtecMineral
• AZtecAM
• AZtecFeature enhancements
• Enhanced Manual Reacquisition
• AZtecClean
• Feature for TEM
• New EDS software packages:
• AZtecLiveOne
• AztecLiveLite

Bugs

• BugsWhen using a mix of phase and normal thresholds to extract from a large area map, only the phase thresholds are extracted - Fixed
• Extracting feature phase data from montaged LAM does not work – Fixed
• Re-auto ID in AZtecOne sets default peak labels to off. So any subsequent auto ID operation does not label peaks – Fixed
• Step notes cannot be edited – Fixed

• Feature and Linescan issues fixed

• TEM Support for Ultim Max TLE , Ultim Max TEM and Xplore TEM
• AZtecLive for TEM
• AutoLock - Frame by Frame capability
• EBSD smart proximity
• Feature – Export data functionality
• AZtecLive – Motion Detection disable capability
• OI Sentinel data logging for X4 and Ultim Detectors
• Gatan integration now supported with x4

Bugs

• AZtec crashes when EDS point analysis crashes at 2nd or 3rd point (on Symmetry systems)
• AZtec EDS LAM does not complete # of fields expected
• AZtec EBSD LAM Memory Leak Error: system slows & eventually freezes