Santa Barbara, CA,---December 21, 2005 Asylum Research, a leading manufacturer of atomic force microscopes (AFMs), announces the availability of the new Variable Field Module (VFM)™ for use with the Asylum Research MFP-3D™ AFM System. The VFM applies an in-plane magnetic field to a sample exceeding + 2,000 Oersted with < 1 Oersted resolution. The VFM is useful for magnetic force microscopy (MFM), conductance, and other applications where the sample has a dependence on the applied field.

The VFM features adjustable pole tips that allow the maximum value of the applied field to be increased or decreased. This module uses a unique design incorporating rare earth magnets to produce the magnetic field so there is no heating or drift as the field changes. The field intensity is easily controlled through the software interface.

Asylum Research manufactures advanced scientific instrumentation, including AFMs/ Scanning Probe Microscopes (SPMs), for nanoscale science and technology. An AFM/SPM is one of the premier instruments used for measuring surfaces and surface properties at the nanometer level.

Variable Field Module (VFM) and MFP-3D are trademarks of Asylum Research. Zip is a registered trademark of Iomega.