Photo Release -- FEI Extends ChemiSTEM Technology to Enable Atomic-Level Spectroscopy

HILLSBORO, Ore., May 3, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FEI Company (Nasdaq:FEIC), a
leading instrumentation company providing systems for research and industry,
today announced that it is extending its ChemiSTEM(TM) Technology to enable, for
the first time, atomic-level energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy across
the periodic table. The combination of increased current in an atomic-sized
probe by Cs-correction and the increase in X-ray detection sensitivity and beam
current of the ChemiSTEM Technology allows results to be obtained within
minutes.

A photo accompanying this release is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=9611

"The powerful combination of the groundbreaking ChemiSTEM Technology and an
aberration corrector offers unique capabilities for material science," said
Professor Ferdinand Hofer of Graz University of Technology, Austria. "One of the
most important applications for the new technology will be element-specific
imaging at atomic resolution. We will apply the technology to study interfaces
in semiconductors, solar cell materials, LEDs and ceramic materials with
previously unknown detection sensitivity and accuracy.

George Scholes, FEI's vice president for product management, adds, "The
ChemiSTEM Technology will enable breakthough results in many key application
areas for our customers, such as catalysis, metallurgy, microelectronics, and
green energy materials, to name a few. For example, in a recent experiment with
ChemiSTEM Technology, our customer was able to clearly resolve the core-shell
structure of 5nm catalyst nanoparticles in about three minutes and with three
times greater pixel resolution than a previous experiment with conventional
technology. And the conventional technology failed after three hours of data
collection to clearly resolve the same structure."

ChemiSTEM Technology achieves a factor of 50 or more enhancement in speed of EDX
elemental mapping on scanning/transmission electron microscopes (S/TEMs)
compared to conventional technology employing standard EDX Silicon-drift
detectors (SDDs) and standard Schottky-FEG electron sources. It combines FEI's
proprietary X-FEG high brightness electron source, providing up to five times
more beam current at a given spatial resolution; the patent-pending Super-X(TM)
detection system, providing up to ten times or more detection sensitivity in
EDX; and fast scanning electronics, capable of achieving EDX spectral rates of
up to 100,000 spectra per second. Additionally, the windowless detector design
employed for each of ChemiSTEM Technology's four integrated SDD detectors has
proven to optimize the detection of both light and heavy elements.

This combination of high detection sensitivity and high spectral rates of up to
100,000 spectra per second are enabling better EDX mapping of materials that are
highly sensitive to electron beam damage, such as composition analysis in
nanometer-scale Indium Gallium Nitride quantum wells used in light emitting
diode (LED) devices, and semiconductor devices with potentially mobile dopant
materials, as well as many others devices used in emerging nanotechnologies.

For more information about ChemiSTEM Technology, visit: www.fei.com/chemistem

Figure Caption

The images show atomic-level EDX spectroscopy of the material Strontium
Titanate; the individual atomic positions of the crystal structure can be easily
distinguished by their chemical signal (red is Strontium, green is Titanium).
These images are based on raw data, with no signal post-processing, and the
individual atomic column positions in the structure are visible and clearly
distinguished from their neighbors with very high contrast and signal-to-noise
quality. The sampling of these atomic-level chemical maps is 0.075 Angstroms per
pixel, the highest sampling density obtained so far by any atomic spectroscopy
technique using scanning/transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM). These
chemical maps were acquired in just minutes on a Titan(TM) G2 60-300 S/TEM with
ChemiSTEM(TM) Technology.

About FEI

FEI (Nasdaq:FEIC) is a leading diversified scientific instruments company. It is
a premier provider of electron- and ion-beam microscopes and tools for nanoscale
applications across many industries: industrial and academic materials research,
life sciences, semiconductors, data storage, natural resources and more. With
more than 60 years of technological innovation and leadership, FEI has set the
performance standard in transmission electron microscopes (TEM), scanning
electron microscopes (SEM) and DualBeams(TM), which combine a SEM with a focused
ion beam (FIB). FEI's imaging systems provide 3D characterization, analysis and
modification/prototyping with resolutions down to the sub-Ångström
(one-tenth of a nanometer) level. FEI's NanoPorts in North America, Europe and
Asia provide centers of technical excellence where its world-class community of
customers and specialists collaborate. FEI has approximately 1800 employees and
sales and service operations in more than 50 countries around the world. More
information can be found at: www.fei.com.

The FEI Company logo is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6379

FEI Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements that include statements
regarding the performance capabilities and benefits of ChemiSTEM and the Titan
G2 60-300. Factors that could affect these forward-looking statements include
but are not limited to failure of the product or technology to perform as
expected and achieve anticipated results, unexpected technology problems and our
ability to manufacture, ship and deliver the tools or software as expected.
Please also refer to our Form 10-K, Forms 10-Q, Forms 8-K and other filings with
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for additional information on these
factors and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially
from the forward-looking statements. FEI assumes no duty to update
forward-looking statements.

CONTACT: Sandy Fewkes, Principal (media contact)
MindWrite Communications, Inc
+1 408 224 4024
sandy@mind-write.com

FEI Company
Fletcher Chamberlin (investors and analysts)
Investor Relations
+1 503 726 7710
fletcher.chamberlin@fei.com