Microstepper
The Impulse microstepping drive uses a digital signal processor and new motor control functions. It has open-loop stall detect for detecting a stall without an encoder or resolver; multistepping for low-resolution step input with 25,600 microsteps out; dynamic smoothing for rounding the edges of the move profile; Xtreme Smoothness to eliminate the motor's natural resonance speeds; and motion node for additional capabilities. It has 4-A available current and can power frame-size 23 and 34 stepping motors. Input resolution is programmable from 200 to 100,000 steps/revolution.
Industrial Devices Corp., Petaluma, CA
Waterproof detectors
The IL line of waterproof detector and cable assemblies is designed for use with the company's re-search radiometers for applications such as depth-probe studies, UV water purification, and pollution monitoring. They have heavy-duty quartz diffusers in anodized aluminum housings with O-ring seals between filters and water-blocked polypropylene reinforced cables up to 600 ft. long. They can conduct light measurements at depths to 130 ft.
International Light, Newburyport, MA
Fiberoptic panels
Fiberoptic panels provide high-brightness illumination for front- and back-lighting of imaging systems used in machine-vision applications. The woven panels emit uniform, diffuse, and shadow-free light over large surface areas. They can be driven by LEDs or by halogen sources up to 150 W. They can be provided with die-cut holes for a camera or microscope lens. They come with lit areas of 2 x 2, 3 x 3, 4 x 4, 4 x 6, or 7 x 8 in.
Lumitex, Strongsville, OH
Cutting laser
A 3000-W carbon dioxide laser with an articulated-arm beam-delivery system and a processing head manipulated by a multiaxis robot is designed for laser cutting and welding of three-dimensional formed parts. The articulated arm can be used with any of the company's CO2 fast-axial-flow lasers from 1000 to 6000 W. The lasers come with a low-speed, oil-free turbine and use industrial-grade gases at low consumption rates.
PRC Laser, Landing, NJ
Multivideo display processor
The 3View is a new multiwindow display processor designed for 16:9 flat panels or projection displays. The 3View allows the user to show three full 4:3 images simultaneously on a 16:9 screen. The processor accepts up to six NTSC composite or three S-Video inputs. Display modes include full screen of a single image or multi-image, with a primary window and two side windows.
RGB Spectrum , Alameda, CA
Fiberoptic identification system
Fibrematch is a light-guide fiberoptic identification system that was developed to help cable operators repair breaks in fiberoptic cables. The portable system consists of a transmitter and a laser "wand" receiver. Both units are constructed with ABS plastic and are designed for use in rugged field environments.
Radiodetection, Bristol, England
Mirror mount
The Model 6777 mirror mount has a patent-pending axial-loaded pivot mechanism for stability. The device has fine 100-pitch adjustment screws and noninfluencing locks, which may be positioned anywhere in a 360° range for accessibility. It is designed for rugged environments, maintaining settings during shipping, and transportation.
Siskiyou Design Instruments, Grants Pass, OR
Single-board machine-vision systems
A line of single-board industrial smart cameras has a remote-sensing head configuration, saving space. They work with standard C-mount lenses and fixed focal length 12-mm lenses. The VCSBC13 and VCSBC11 models both have interlaced, video-signal output (CCIR), and 12-V power supply, providing 500 x 582 and 740 x 580 pixel resolution respectively. The VCSBC38, available with either a 12- or a 24-V power supply, has progressive line capture, instant triggering, SVGA video-signal output, full-frame integration, electronic shutter, and vertical resets and restarts.
Vision Components, Burlington, MA
Software for FT-IR spectrometers
EZ OMNIC software is designed for use with FT-IR spectrometer systems. It includes data collection and storage, customizable menus and toolbars, data process functions (subtraction, baseline correction, peak picking, etc.), library creation, and searching. Tutorials and help topics are also available.
Thermo Mattson, Madison, WI
Laser marking system
The SL Manual is a compact (800 mm overall depth), air-cooled, all-in-one laser marking system with up to 100-W laser power. It has been designed as an ergonomic, seated workplace. The overall height of the system is 1400 mm. The z position of the laser focus can be manually adjusted or under program control. Optional rotating equipment for workpieces up to 125 mm can be integrated.
Rofin Laser Marking, Starnberg, Germany
Prealigner
The AdeptAlign 650 prealigner is an atmospheric, three-axis prealigner that automatically orients 150-, 200-, and 300-mm wafers. It is designed for front-end applications and speeds up throughput by eliminating the need for a hardware change or user intervention. It works in conjunction with the company's other wafer-handling products.
Adept Technology, San Jose, CA
Autocorrelator
An autocorrelator has a fiber output for use as a measuring instrument for telecommunications. It is a flat, sealed optical unit and controller with its parts electrically connected via cable. Scan ranges are from 1 to 150 ps, with the highest sensitivity at 10-7 W2. It covers a wavelength range from 1500 to 1600 nm, with others optional.
APE GmbH, Berlin, Germany
Laser for writing fiber Bragg gratings
The BraggStar Industrial is an excimer laser designed for writing fiber Bragg gratings. The laser is equipped with TuiLaser's FutureTube, operating up to 1000 Hz. It is designed with a resonator layout for perfect coherence for phase mask technique. It offers a homogenous beam profile. The laser measures 890 x 380 x 660 mm3 and is single phase and air cooled.
TuiLaser, Munich, Germany
Modules for laser-diode applications
The QubePak module can control temperature of either a single or multiple devices under tests (DUT) and applies programmable dc and ac voltage simultaneously to each DUT. The module can also serve as a measurement instrument for monitoring DUT voltages, currents, and signals, and provides continuous monitoring of DUT power fault detection. Applications include laser-diode stabilization and other tasks in production and testing environments.
ThetaDelta Technologies, Lawrence, MA
Metal identification instrument
A new on-site metal identification instrument, the SpectroPORT analyzer, is intended for use in foundries, metal-grading facilities, and metal companies. The portable analyzer uses CCD technology and is available with dual arc/spark capabilities and a standard rugged fold-down, two-wheel cart, which includes a holder for an argon bottle.
Spectro Analytical Instruments, Fitchburg, MA
Thin-film measurement
The nkd 7000 is designed for thin-film characterization in the optical coating, telecommunications, and semiconductor markets. It has a spectral range of 350 to 1700 nm, spectral resolution to 1 nm, and maximum sample size of 250 x 250 mm. It can measure film thicknesses of 6 nm to 20 µm in dielectrics, polymers, semiconductors, and metals.
Aquila Instruments, Cambridge, England
Development tool
The LAB 60 Fiber Automation Development Station is designed for characterization of new optical devices, development of production processes, and testing of components. It includes a six-axis fiber positioner, an optical table with isolation, machine vision, and associated software. A range of fixturing and photonics measurement devices is available.
Axsys Technologies, Rocky Hill, CT
Microscope
The Axioskop 2 MOT plus microscope is designed for biological and medical research and clinical diagnostics. It captures stray light to improve contrast and detection sensitivity in fluorescence microscopy. The cube housing fluorescence filters can be changed without tools, and a reflector turret has five preadjusted filter combinations.
Carl Zeiss, Thornwood, NY
DUV laser
The Azure 266-nm laser source is designed for integration into semiconductor metrology tools. It is a continuous-wave, diode-pumped, solid-state laser with a near diffraction-limited beam. It provides low amplitude noise and has automatic control of all operating features.
Coherent Laser Division, Santa Clara, CA
Modulator
A 12.5-Gbit/s intensity modulator made of lithium niobate has bandwidth to 12.5 GHz at 3 dB, allowing for forward-error correction protocols such as Super FEC and Digital Wrapper. It uses low-RF drive voltage and has long-term bias stability.
Codeon Corp., Columbia, MD
DUV micro-objectives
The µCAT series of deep-ultraviolet micro-objectives for semiconductor inspection is catadioptric, incorporating both refractive and reflective elements. They have working distances up to 9 mm and a numerical aperture of 0.52 to 0.90. They come in a sealed system with the internal atmosphere controlled to keep harmful contaminants away from the internal elements.
Corning Tropel Corp., Fairport, NY
Glass optics
Standard optical components come in rectangular, square, or diameter sizes from 4 to 165 mm. Components include aspheric condenser and spherical singlet lenses, concave first-surface mirrors, and heat-absorbing filters in a number of materials. Optics can be coated with antireflection, cold light, dichroic, dielectric, IR, and metallic aluminum coatings.
Docter Optics, Mesa AZ
Laser diodes
Samsung laser diodes are available in a 5.6-mm package with wavelengths of 635, 670, 685, and 785 nm and operating temperatures of 50°C, 60°C, and 70°C. Optical output powers from 5 to 160 mW are available.
Roithner Lasertechnik, Wein, Austria
UV curing chambers
PC-2000, 2000-EC and 5000-EC UV curing chambers use a 400-W UV/visible floodlight bulb to cure a variety of optical adhesives. The chambers allow a view of the curing process while providing protection from UV emissions. Some models have a manual or automated shutter to control exposure.
Dymax Corp., Torrington, CT
980-nm laser bars
A 40-W, conductively cooled, open heat-sink laser bar, a 30-W fiber-coupled (850-µm diameter) laser bar, and a 12-W fiber-coupled (675-µm diameter) laser bar have been introduced. Both of the fiber-coupled products are available with or without a visible aiming beam port. The products are intended for emerging medical applications such as dermatology, plastic surgery, podiatry, and wound care.
Spectra-Physics, Mountain View, CA
Nd:YAG laser with fiber delivery
A new fiberoptic launch adapter (FOLA) is an option for the miniature Q-switched Nd:YAG model ULTRA that allows coupling of the total optical energy of the 8-ns pulse into a 1-mm-diameter fiber. The specification at the fiber output (45 mJ at 1064 nm, 8 ns, 20 Hz) makes the laser source useful for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy or surface cleaning in microelectronics. The module is designed to withstand harsh environments.
Quantel, Les Ulis, France
Laser micromachining
The Model 2700 laser micromachining system can dice wafers and drill vias in silicon. It is designed for the manufacture of silicon-based array waveguide gratings and microelectromechanical devices. It cuts without the use of water, can drill 25-µm-diameter vias through wafers 750 µm thick at dozens per second, and has position resolution of 1 µm.
Electro Scientific Industries, Portland, OR
UV meter
The X9 11 hand-held UV-C radiometer contains a solid-state detector for use in UV air and water sterilization, eprom erasure, UV curing, and other applications. It is solar-blind above 300 nm, can measure from 0.1 µW/cm2 to 1000 mW/cm2, and is calibrated at 254 nm. Designed for lab or mobile use, it has a large LCD, irradiance and dose modes, peak hold function, and RS-232 interface.
Gigahertz-Optik, Newburyport, MA
Telecom-safe eyewear
The Telecom-Diode filter attenuates wavelengths from 900 to 1600 nm, providing protective eyewear for workers dealing with telecommunications lasers. It has optical density of >3 from 840 to 1700 nm and provides undistorted natural color perception. It comes in hard-coated polycarbonate or high-clarity optical glass in a variety of frame styles.
GPT Glendale, Lakeland, FL
High-speed receivers
The G8338/G8339 InGaAs PIN photodiodes with transimpedance amplifiers are receivers designed for optical fiber systems, including Fibre Channel, Gigabit Ethernet, and SDH. They have a dynamic range of -37 to -5 dBm at a transmission rate of 156 Mbit/s. Risetime is 2000 ps and photosensitivity is 27 V/mW. Supply current is 25 mA, output bias is 1.5 V, and operating temperature is -20°C to 70°C.
Hamamatsu Corp., Bridgewater, NJ
Red diodes
The Maru beam series of red laser diodes have a circular beam with a typical 1.2 aspect ratio in the 635-nm band. The HL6335G has a 9-mm package and the HL6340OMG has a 5.6-mm package, each with 5-mW output. They have a typical 25-mA operating current, output of 5 mW, LD reverse voltage of 2 V, PD reverse voltage of 30 V, and an operating temperature of -10°C to 50°C.
Hitachi Europe Ltd., Maidenhead, Berkshire, England
Lasers for cutting/drilling
The HL 101P and HL 201P are pulsed solid-state lasers designed for precision drilling and cutting. Laser pulse duration is variable from 80 µs to 1 ms, and pulse performance is adjustable up to 8 kW on the HL 101P and up to 18 kW on the HL 201P. Using a fiberoptic beam-delivery system, a kerf width of 50 µm and hole-drilling depths of up to 25 mm with an aspect ratio of 30 are achieved. LCU control allows remote monitoring to continually register up to 600 measurements.
Trumpf, Plymouth, MI
PMD analyzers
The FTB-5500 and IQ-5000 polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) analyzers have increased their dynamic range to 56 dB for testing high-capacity, ultralong-haul, and submarine networks. The instrumentsone for field use, one for manufacturing plantsallow users to test high-capacity telecommunications links to almost 300 km.
Exfo, Quebec City, Que., Canada
Right-angle inspection lens
The Rodenstock 90° Vario Focus Inspection Lens' (VFIL) right-angle design offers an alternative to traditional CCD lenses, allowing viewing of interior walls and recesses in small environments. Two standard versions are available. The VFIL can be used in a macro mode to infinity using a focusing stick in working distances from 2 (0.66x) to 3000 mm (infinity). The lens was designed for 1/2-in. format (8.1-mm image diameter) with a 50° angle of view. The iris is adjustable from f/6 to f/16 and can be locked into position with a setscrew.
Linos Photonics, Rockford, IL
Wafer test station
The INS3300 DUV wafer test station can inspect semiconductor wafers at various wavelengths from 248 to 356 nm, with a resolution in the DUV of approximately 80 nm. It can inspect 200- or 300-mm wafers at a rate of more than 200 wafers per hour. The hermetically sealed chamber can be easily integrated into fab lines.
Leica Microsystems, Wetzlar, Germany
Low-noise photodetector
The LNP-2 is a low-noise photodetector optimized for optical power of 0.75 pW to 2 mW. The standard model consists of a low noise silicon or indium gallium arsenide photodiode and a transimpedance amplifier. The device is designed for experiments with low optical-power levels. Other applications include direct detection, feedback control systems, and lock-in detection.
LG-Laser Technologies GmbH, Kleinostheim, Germany
Nonhalogenated epoxy resin system
The EP21HTFR-1 is a new nonhalogenated epoxy resin system offering flame resistance and minimal smoke generation even upon prolonged exposure to open flames. Using a proprietary in-house technology, the two-component system has a one-to-one mix ratio, service range of -65°F to 400°F, and does not emit any halogens or noxious vapors when subjected to open flames for prolonged periods.
Master Bond, Hackensack, NJ
Compact frame grabber
A 3U Compact PCI version of the Matrox Meteor-II/Multi-Channel frame grabber for monochrome or component-RGB interlaced/progressive-scan video acquisition is now available. The frame grabber is suitable for use in harsh environments and deeply embedded applications. The board is designed to capture from analog interlaced or progressive frame-scan monochrome cameras, or multiple standard (RS-170/CCIR) monochrome cameras. Hardware trigger support is available.
Matrox Imaging, Dorval, Que., Canada
Sapphire windows and lenses
Sapphire windows and lenses can be produced as plano convex and plano concave shapes from 1/4 to 6-in. diameter or as rectangles and squares, in various thicknesses, with 10:1 aspect ratios. They are custom manufactured to 1/10 wave flatness and transmitted wavefront, 10-5 scratch-dig surface finish, and roughness <0.3-nm RA. The sapphire lenses and windows transmit from UV to IR with up to 85% transmission uncoated and up to 99% with AR coatings on two sides. They are designed for applications requiring greater durability than glass and quartz, have Moh 9 hardness, and are impervious to water and most chemicals.
Meller Optics, Providence, RI
Compact thermoelectric cooler
The CP-065 is a compact thermoelectric cooling assembly consisting of a cold plate with four mounting holes. This design allows the laser diode to mount directly to the cold plate for greater efficiency. The unit is designed for laboratory instruments, OEM suppliers, and medical applications.
TE Technology, Traverse City, MI