Thin, parallel optics are difficult to measure, because both front and back surfaces reflect light. Fourier- Transform Phase Shifting Interferometry can separate those reflections and provide more information than traditional methods. 

ZYGO's Compass ™ micro lens metrology system helps manufacturers verify lens quality and refine their manufacturing processes.

This article informs the reader on grazing incidence interferometry; a relatively simple technique that is useful for large or non-specular metrology.

Zygo's new, innovative glass profiler features make measuring roughness on super-smooth surfaces a smooth process.

ZYGO's precision metrology instruments help a major automaker implement precision metrology to silence differential gear noise.

As the demand for more smartphones high higher camera quality grows, cell phone image quality has gone through vast improvements. This blog article describes the specifc improvements in smartphone camera qualities and how Zygo Corporation is helping to improve camera imaging

Here are a few questions you might be asking when you’re considering whether to build your own assembly or have it custom-made by an experienced design and manufacturing team.

From applications under the sea to those orbiting the Earth, ZYGO creates the highest quality products with challenging specifications in extreme operating environments. From prototype to production volumes, ZYGO provides program management, engineering design, and manufacturing support.

Zygo’s QPSI technology eliminates the problem of environment vibrations with measurements that require no special setup or calibration. A ZYGO interferometer utilizing QPSI technology is capable of producing reliable high-precision measurements in the presence of environmental vibration from common sources such as motors, pumps, blowers, and personnel.

Understanding performance specifications is the first step in the process of selecting an instrument or technology for areal surface topography measurements. One of the more frequently cited parameters is known as “vertical resolution,” which is defined as the smallest surface height variation that can be detected. As a result of a review of instrument brochures, technical articles, and international standards, it was found that there is not a consensus regarding the meaning of "vertical resolution" and its numerical specification, which leads to a lot of confusion in the industry. It is important to re-evaluate the use of the term “vertical resolution” and identify a better way to characterize other instrument performance specifications.

Utilizing interference microscopy techniques to measure the many aspects of surface structures takes advantage of rapid, non-contact operation and rapid data acquisition, often at data acquisition rates in the millions of 3D image points per second. 

Obstructing artifacts in interferometric data can come in many different forms, such as a “bulls-eye,” which can be caused by dust on an optical surfaced in the coherent beam path of an interferometer. These artifacts can print through on the height map and affect the magnitude and repeatability of the surface results. As a solution, ZYGO offers the Ring of Fire^TM extended source method for reducing noise and other artifacts. Building on this expertise, ZYGO has also developed a coherent artifact reduction system (CARS) that reduces noise from wavefront shearing, speckle, or mottle by a factor of up to 10 and allows for surface features to be resolved.

Optical profilers using Coherence Scanning Interferometry (CSI) have traditionally found it a challenge to measure highly sloped surfaces. Surfaces like these can be found in all industries and include optical micro-lenses, brightness enhancing structures, and machined cones. ZYGO offers CSI based profilers running Mx™ software with advancements in signal detection and processing that vastly improve the ability to obtain valid topography data from surfaces with high slopes.

Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) windows must demonstrate superior performance r to avoid compromising a mission’s success. Sapphire is extremely durable, scratch-resistant, withstands extreme temperatures, and transmits over a broad wavelength range of light.

Zygo Corporation provided LIGO Scientific Collaboration with extremely high-precision optics for its successful detection of gravitational waves and thereby confirming one of the major predictions of Albert Einstein's 1915 General Theory of Relativity.

The Verifire™ XL comes with QPSI™ acquisition technology that enables true on-axis surface form metrology, without degradation from production floor vibrations. The system features a heavy duty tip/tip/tilt stage providing repeatable part placement without needing custom fixturing. The Mx™ measurement and analysis software provides unmatched measurement capability with its operational features, data visualization tools, and easy-to-use interface.

The ZeGage^TM Plus is an optical surface profiler designed with sub-nanometer precision, scans up to twice as fast as the ZeGage profiler, and has an increased range of measureable surfaces. This new profiler is extremely versatile in measuring a wide variety of surfaces ranging from rough to super smooth, including finishes such as ground, honed, lapped, and super-polished on materials like glass, ceramic, and metal.

Photonics components enable the design and development of next-generation medical devices and diagnostics. This paper identifies common mistakes medical device manufacturers make when attempting to incorporate optics and photonics into their designs — and how to avoid them.

When the Department of Defense decided its landscape flight simulators to train pilots required too large a display, too large an enclosure space, and felt a bit antiquated in general, the DoD looked for a helmet –mounted simulation solution to replace the traditional rear-projection screens they were using.

When the natural lens in a human eye is affected by a cataract and must be removed, an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) is put in its place. A new type of IOL allows surgeons to adjust for errors in preoperative measurements and variations in vision as the eye heals.

Justin Turner from Zygo Corporation discusses how to do so by involving a supplier at an early point in the design phase. Check out the full video for more information.

At Zygo’s booth on the first day of Photonics West 2019, Erin McDonnell delves into the topic of challenges and considerations to be considered in the precise metrology of plain parallel optics and thin glass optics. Check out the video for solutions on these challenges including a short coherence measurement method and a wavelength tuning method.

Zygo’s precision optics solutions such as high-quality mirrors, space-based lens assemblies, and other reconnaissance systems, have enabled high-performance solutions for defense and aerospace application.

In regards to the research market, Zygo focuses on solving their own internal problems through R&D instead of relying on outside research organizations. With their expertise and connections with the research community, the company is able to understand research needs and ensure that products will work in experiments and instrumentation the first time.

The semiconductor market is focused on creating billions of products for consumption. Semiconductor companies turn to Zygo Corporation for their robust processes and constant solutions.

This video features the new Verifire™ HD Interferometer System with a high-speed 2k x 2k pixel CCD camera, and an optimized optical design to reliably measure surface features.

John Waka with Zygo started our day two DSS 2015 coverage off with an introduction to the DynaFiz™ — a dynamic laser interferometer that can essentially "freeze" vibration, enabling accurate optic metrology in environments that are too violent for traditional temporal phase shifting techniques.

The world's most powerful laser needed a high precision custom optics manufacturer. In this case study, high fluence laser amplifiers were developed into a volume production process for the National Ignition Facility project.

In this video, one of Zygo’s applications engineers provides a demonstration of the ZeGage^TM 3D optical surface profiler as it measures the roughness of the surface of a sealing valve used in the automotive industry. That might sounds fairly unremarkable, but check out how the system does on a rickety plastic table in a machine shop full of noise and vibration.

Barbara Carr with Zygo kicked off day two of Photonics Online's Optics and Photonics 2014 coverage by introducing the DynaFiz — a dynamic laser interferometer designed to measure the surface form of optics in the presence of turbulent air, or in environments susceptible to extreme vibrations. Watch the video to see it in action.

John Stack, president of the optical systems division at Zygo walks us through what his company displayed this year at Photonics West.

In this video, Justin Turner from Zygo introduces the ZeGage optical profiler. The system measures precision surfaces of implantable medical devices that require non-contact metrology, such as bone screws and dental implants. 

This video gives insight on a dental medical device’s journey from the prototype phase to production. The device needed to be small enough to image rear teeth, robust enough to replace physical impressions, and had to make precision measurements for prosthetics. The process involved complex optics, steps to ensure hygienic sterilization, high resolution 3D imaging, and more. Download the video to see how it was done.

Zygo Corporation has announced the introduction of its latest generation of ZeGage™ 3D optical profiling instruments providing precise and rapid non-contact measurement of surface topography for enhanced quality and process control.

Zygo's new, innovative glass profiler features make measuring roughness on super-smooth surfaces a smooth process.

ZYGO's precision metrology instruments help a major automaker implement precision metrology to silence differential gear noise.

Zygo Corporation’s latest generation Nexview™ NX2 and NewView™ 9000 3D optical profiling instruments precisely measure surface area topography quickly and with ease for enhanced productivity and versatility, addressing a broad range of applications.

Zygo Corporation is pleased to introduce the Verifire™ HDX laser interferometer system with ultra-high spatial resolution and advanced imaging for measuring surface form and transmitted wavefront of high-performance optical components and systems. At the core of the Verifire HDX is a new optical design, which delivers improved instrument transfer function (ITF) and ultra-high spatial resolution for superior characterization of midspatial frequency (MSF) characteristics and high-slope surface form errors, with high precision and confidence.

Zygo Corporation provided LIGO Scientific Collaboration with extremely high-precision optics for its successful detection of gravitational waves and thereby confirming one of the major predictions of Albert Einstein's 1915 General Theory of Relativity.