WOODBURY, N.Y., June 10 -- Veeco Instruments Inc. has purchased the atomic force microscope (AFM) probe business of NanoDevices Inc., based in Santa Barbara, Calif. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Don Kania, PhD, president of Veeco, said, "This strategic technology acquisition will help Veeco provide its customers with probes designed specifically to maximize the performance of Veeco's AFMs, and will accelerate our development of new AFM products where innovative probe technology can be the critical element." Stephen Minne, president of NanoDevices, added, "Veeco has been an important partner for NanoDevices since our founding in 1998, and this acquisition is a natural next step for both sides. By aligning our probe R&D with Veeco's instrument development, we will bring new and novel systems to market quicker, benefiting our research customers." Veeco Instruments Inc. develops products for nanoscale applications in the semiconductor, data storage, telecommunications/wireless and scientific research markets. Its metrology products are used to measure at the nanoscale, and its process equipment tools help create nanoscale devices. NanoDevices supplies advanced probes in atomic force microscopy and a variety of calibration artifacts for the nanometer scale. For more information, visit: www.veeco.com