Lifetime Achievement Award For Frans Holthuysen.

On September 19, 2013 in the Great Hall of the Imperial College of London at the Micro and Nano Engineering Conference with over 600 attendees and exhibitors, a lifetime achievement award:
"The Rembrandt of the SEM" was given to Frans Holthuysen of Philips Research Labs.

Frans receives award from FEI's Hans Mulders. Left to right: Frans Holthuysen, Hans Mulders,
Zahid Durrani, John Randall

The award was sponsored by FEI whose SEM was the instrument that Frans used to take most of his micrographs. An award plaque was presented by Hans Mulders of FIE a long time friend of Frans. The Plaque was inscribed as follows:

On September 25, 2013, Frans Holthuysen retired from Philips Research Labs after 48 years of service. This is a loss to Philips and to the rest of the world. His rare talent did what rare talent does, it breaks boundaries. His skill was such that it broke out of the technical world into the world of art. His work was displayed at the New York Museum of Modern Art and many other places. Those of us who have marveled at his skill and artistry will sorely miss seeing what new wonders that he has managed to capture with an SEM. However, we will have to be content with his legacy of spectacular images. A sampling is displayed below.

Just for fun type "Frans Holthuysen" into Google images and see what is displayed.


EIPBN 1998 - Most Bizarre Micrograph


Title : “Flying Alhambra”

Description: Wet etched Macroporous silicon.

Magnification (3"x4" image): 40KX
Instrument: Philips XL-40 FEG Scanning Electron Microscope


EIPBN 1999 - Grand Prize Micrograph


Title : “Under Construction”

Description: Under etching of the walls of this structure yielded this suprising construction.

Magnification (3"x4" image): 3KX
Instrument: Philips XL-40 FEG Scanning Electron Microscope


EIPBN 2001 - Best Electron Micrograph


Title : “Ballet Dancer”

Description: It concerns a MgO layer deposited via spin coating of a precursor solution of Mg(OEt)2 in ethanol followed by a subsequent firing step.

Magnification (3"x4" image): 139X
Instrument: Philips XL-40 FEG Scanning Electron Microscope


EIPBN 2001 - Most Bizarre Micrograph


Title : “Sea Horse”

Description: The events surrounding this strange apparition are so bizarre that no one will admit to what happened.

Magnification (3"x4" image): 1000X
Instrument: Philips XL-40 FEG Scanning Electron Microscope


EIPBN 2002 - Best Electron Micrograph


Title : “Zebra's Eye”

Description: The micrograph is taken from a cross-section of a multiplayer structure of two amorphous polymers, poly-methylmethacrylate (PMMA) and polystyrene (PS). Such multilayers are obtained by co-extrusion of the two materials in a special mixing channel. The displayed structure is actually an unintended perturbation of the regular layer build up. The contrast is obtained by etching with O2 plasma with PMMA having a higher etchrate than PS.

Magnification (3"x4" image): 40KX
Instrument: Philips XL-40 FEG Scanning Electron Microscope


EIPBN 2002 - Most Bizarre Micrograph


Title : “Miss Haversham’s Wedding or Not So Great Expectations”

Description: Silicon was etched to form whiskers; these structures are due to salt deposits from the etching bath.

Magnification (3"x4" image): 8000X
Instrument: Philips XL-40 FEG Scanning Electron Microscope


EIPBN 2002 - Grand Prize Micrograph


Title : “Gumbys at the Planetarium”

Description: Freestanding single-crystalline silicon whiskers with a length of 100 micrometer and a diameter of 300 nanometer are formed by etching a silicon wafer in several steps. Due to capillary forces and van der Waals interactions the wires are clustered.

Magnification (3"x4" image): 7500X
Instrument: Philips XL-40 FEG Scanning Electron Microscope


EIPBN 2003 - Most Bizarre Micrograph


Title : “Dancing Girls”

Description: Copper damascene metal structure

Magnification (3"x4" image): 50KX
Instrument: Philips XL-40 FEG Scanning Electron Microscope


EIPBN 2004 - Best Electron Micrograph


Title : “Wisconsin Thong”

Description: Pollen of a Passiflora

Magnification (3"x4" image): 1000X
Instrument: Philips XL-40 FEG Scanning Electron Microscope


EIPBN 2005 - Grand Prize Micrograph


Title : “Pico Predator”

Description: RF-MEMS structure consisting of a stack of 5 µm Al + 50 nm TiW + 200 nm PECVD SiO2.

Magnification (3"x4" image): 340X
Instrument: FEI NovaNanoSEM600


EIPBN 2005 - Honorable Mention


Title : “Tower of Babylon”

Description: Interior of a shell

Magnification (3"x4" image): 60X
Instrument: FEI NovaNanoSEM600


EIPBN 2005 - Honorable Mention


Title : “Spiders Website”

Description: RF-MEMS structure consisting of a stack of 5 µm Al + 50 nm TiW + 200 nm PECVD SiO2.

Magnification (3"x4" image): 240X
Instrument: FEI NovaNanoSEM600


EIPBN 2006 - Best Electron Micrograph


Title : “West Side Story”

Description: In the so-called Bosch process plasma etchingis done by SF6 plasma.

Magnification (3"x4" image): 20KX
Instrument: Philips XL-40 FEG Scanning Electron Microscope


EIPBN 2007 - Honorable Mention


Title : “Failure to Ignite”

Description: Replication of Surface Structures with Polydimethylsiloxane.

Magnification (3"x4" image): 5,000X
Instrument: FEI NovaNanoSEM600


EIPBN 2007


Title : “ Caves (Stalagnieten) ”

Description: Heated of Silicum.

Magnification (3"x4" image): 4,000X
Instrument: FEI NovaNanoSEM600


EIPBN 2007


Title : “ Donut ”

Description: The picture shows a feature on a micro-molded part from a deep-etched silicon mold. The replication is incomplete due to premature itrification of the thermoplastic polymer.

Magnification (3"x4" image): 1,250X
Instrument: FEI NovaNanoSEM600


EIPBN 2007


Title : “ Leaves ”

Description: A metal film was structured by plasma etching.

Magnification (3"x4" image): 100KX
Instrument: FEI NovaNanoSEM600


EIPBN 2007


Title : “The Wave”

Description: Bad adhesion of metallization.

Magnification (3"x4" image): 40KX
Instrument: FEI NovaNanoSEM600


MNE 2007 - Second Prize


Title : "The Ruins of Damascene"

Description: The isolation material between the metal lines was etched away.

Magnification (3"x4" image): 10KX
Instrument: Philips XL-40 FEG Scanning Electron Microscope


MNE 2011 - Honorable Mention


Title : “Smurf Forest”

Description: Nano Kaltalpa Trees. This is the coolest MicroGraph ever!!

Magnification (3"x4" image): 50KX
Instrument: FEI NovaNanoSEM600


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