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Imaging in the
Ultrafast Lane Quantum Dots
Set to Enhance
Next-Gen Displays
Expert Q&A:
Trends in Laser Alignment
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May 2011
t
TABLE OF CONTENTS
18 | TECH NEWS
A game of quantum hot potato
Atoms acting as lasers
Extremely fast film processes recorded
Mimicking photosynthesis for cheap hydrogen fuel
USAF works to improve silicon photonics processes
Navy looks to deep-six noisy lighting
Terahertz bomb sniffer wins student prize
N-slit laser interferometer developed
Superskin goes solar
More powerful integrated circuits
Manipulating nanowires for single-mode lasers
28 | FASTTRACK
Business and Markets
Some telecom laser makers produce 1M per month
Attracting top workers is a full-time job in Germany
37 | GREENLIGHT
Ultrafast laser scribes solar cells
by Laura S. Marshall, Managing Editor
NEWS & ANALYSIS
10 | EDITORIAL
12 | LETTERS
68 | BRIGHT IDEAS
81 | HAPPENINGS
83 | ADVERTISER INDEX
84 | PEREGRINATIONS
A bun bakers new best friend
DEPARTMENTS
THE COVER
An x-ray converter developed at JILA
takes an ultrafast laser beam and changes
it into laserlike beams at much shorter
wavelengths and pulse duration. The laser
accelerates electrons within an atom,
creating a rainbow of laserlike x-rays.
Reprinted from Nature Photonics. Courtesy
of Tenio Popmintchev and Brad Baxley, JILA.
Cover design by Senior Art Director
Lisa N. Comstock.
18
Photonics Spectra May 2011 4
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PHOTONICS: The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant
energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The range of applications of photonics extends
from energy generation to detection to communications and information processing.
Vol ume 45 I ssue 5
www. phot oni cs. com
38 | IMAGING IN THE ULTRAFAST LANE
by Hank Hogan, Contributing Editor
At wavelengths outside the visible regime, ultrafast imaging
offers new possibilities for biological and industrial applications.
45 | PRESERVING MOORES LAW
PUSHES LITHOGRAPHY TO ITS LIMITS
by Marie Freebody, Contributing Editor
Can lithography create integrated circuits with features
that are 22 nm or smaller, or will other methods be required?
48 | EXPERT Q&A: TRENDS IN LASER ALIGNMENT
by Laura S. Marshall, Managing Editor
Steve Bohuczky of Opto-Alignment Technology and Mory Creighton
of Pinpoint Laser Systems discuss laser alignment issues and challenges
and the current and future markets.
54 | QUANTUM DOTS:
SET TO PERMEATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF DISPLAYS
by Lynn Savage, Features Editor
Less expensive quantum dots may be a long-lived, power-efficient option
for the booming display market.
60 | USING SBIRs AS A PLATFORM FOR SUCCESS
by C. David Chaffee, Contributor
Brimrose Corp.s founder and CEO, Dr. Ron Rosemeier, describes his strategy
for winning Phase I and II SBIRs and STTRs, along with his experience
in building a thriving business.
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FEATURES
54
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What makes
a cost-effective choice
and what that means for you.
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8 Photonics Spectra May 2011
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e
EDITORIAL COMMENT
Machine Vision Sees Rapid Growth
T
he 50th anniversary of the laser captured our attention last year, and this year
we find ourselves observing that golden milestone for the industrial robot. I can
watch robots and production machinery in action all day long, and I got my
chance to do just that in late March when I spent a day at Automate 2011 in Chicago.
The show is a production of the Automation Technologies Council, comprising the
Robotics Industry Association, the Automated Imaging Association (AIA) and the Motion
Control Association. Although the robots were fascinating, my main interest was recent
developments in machine vision.
Advances in machine vision have played an important role in helping companies achieve
improved product quality in industries such as food and beverage, semiconductors,
electronics, automotive and pharmaceuticals for decades, Jeff Burnstein, president of
AIA, the industrys trade group, said in a statement.
In recent years, the technology has expanded into a wide variety of nonmanufacturing
industries such as security, lab automation, medical imaging, defense and entertainment,
which is why were seeing rapid growth on a global basis, he added.
North American machine vision sales are recovering after declining by 29.2 percent in
the first quarter of 2009 over the same period in 2008, according to reports from AIA.
In one titled Quarterly Machine Vision Sales Tracking Report, covering the first quarter of
2010, North American machine vision sales increased by 34.4 percent over 2009 and rose
again in the third quarter of 2010, when year-over-year growth hit 68 percent, up from the
second quarter 2010 at 60 percent and the first quarter at 34 percent.
On issuing the third-quarter 2010 report, Paul Kellet, AIAs director of market analysis,
said, These results are very impressive, leaving little doubt that the recovery in the North
American machine vision market is real and sustainable. Based on industry expectations,
we expect the recovery to continue at least another six months.
Machine vision companies exhibiting at Automate 2011 included Adimec, Advanced
Illumination, Basler Vision Technologies, CCS America, Edmund Optics, Flir, The
Imaging Source, JAI, Keyence, LMI Technologies, Matrox Imaging, MVTec, National
Instruments, PPT Vision, Point Grey, Resonon, Schneider Optics, Spectrum Illumination,
Teledyne Dalsa, Toshiba Teli, Vision Components and Z-Laser America.
At a press briefing during the show, Adimec, of Stoneham, Mass., presented an
overview of trends in industrial CMOS and explained how its cameras address concerns
including uniformity, shot noise and interface. On the show floor, Vision Components
of Ettingen, Germany, displayed its smart cameras for quality inspection and automation,
including one with a sensor modified to increase sensitivity in the near-infrared range,
with applications for electroluminescence quality control in the photovoltaics industry.
Edmund Optics, of Barrington, N.J., featured ultracompact lenses offering telecentricity
with very low distortion, making them suitable for small-space applications such as
circuit boards and semiconductor inspection.
So, the picture is improving for machine vision sales in North America, and Im looking
forward to checking in on the industry in Europe in person when I attend Vision 2011
in Stuttgart, Germany, in October. A special issue of EuroPhotonics is in the works,
with a focus on vision.
In the meantime, Ill see you at SPIE Optifab, May 9-11 in Rochester, N.Y., and at
Laser World of Photonics, May 23-27, in Munich, Germany.
Enjoy the issue.
Editorial Advisory Board
Dr. Robert R. Alfano
City College of New York
Valerie C. Bolhouse
Consultant
Walter Burgess
Power Technology Inc.
Dr. Timothy Day
Daylight Solutions
Dr. Anthony J. DeMaria
Coherent-DEOS LLC
Dr. Donal Denvir
Andor Technology PLC
Patrick L. Edsell
Avanex Corp.
Dr. Stephen D. Fantone
Optikos Corp.
Randy Heyler
Ondax Inc.
Dr. Michael Houk
Bristol Instruments Inc.
Dr. Kenneth J. Kaufmann
Hamamatsu Corp.
Brian Lula
PI (Physik Instrumente) LP
Eliezer Manor
Shirat Enterprises Ltd., Israel
Shinji Niikura
Coherent Japan Inc.
Dr. Morio Onoe
professor emeritus, University of Tokyo
Dr. William Plummer
WTP Optics
Dr. Richard C. Powell
University of Arizona
Dr. Ryszard S. Romaniuk
Warsaw University of Technology, Poland
Samuel P. Sadoulet
Edmund Optics
Stuart Schoenmann
CVI Melles Griot
Dr. Steve Sheng
Telesis Technologies Inc.
William H. Shiner
IPG Photonics Corp.
John M. Stack
Zygo Corp.
Dr. Albert J.P. Theuwissen
Harvest Imaging/Delft University
of Technology, Belgium
Kyle Voosen
National Instruments Corp.
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l
LETTERS
EMCCD vs. sCMOS
As a manufacturer of both electron-multi-
plying CCD (EMCCD) and scientific
CMOS (sCMOS) cameras, we feel com-
pelled to present an alternative, more
balanced perspective to the March 2011
Photonics Spectra article titled EMCCD
vs. sCMOS for Microscopic Imaging,
which was written by a manufacturer of
EMCCD cameras that, relevantly, is not
currently a manufacturer of sCMOS
cameras.
In painting the desired picture of unfet-
tered EMCCD sensitivity superiority
across all experimental conditions, the
article was highly reliant on modeling
pixel size differences between the tech-
nologies, underpinning the ability of
larger-pixel EMCCD detectors to collect
more photons per pixel, thus providing
a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) under
all light conditions.
As such, the article in effect became
less a comparison of different technologies
and more a comparison of different pixel
sizes. However, what the authors conve-
niently failed to acknowledge is that,
as with any other imaging detector tech-
nology, an sCMOS camera can be readily
operated with pixel binning, creating
larger superpixels for an improved
photon collection area when required.
In fact, from the perspective of general
cell microscopy, a smaller-pixel sCMOS
with a 5.5-megapixel sensor format can
be viewed as an attractive proposition in
that it maintains the flexibility to operate
as a small-pixel sensor for superior resolu-
tion of intracellular structure and can be
operated with 2 2 binning for better
light collection when photons are scarce.
It is worth noting that, under this binning
condition, the read noise of sCMOS will
double, as factored accordingly into the
plots shown below.
Figure 1 shows a plot of the SNR
against the number of photons per square
micron. The bottom axis is a representa-
tion of photon flux incident at the detector
surface; thus, a measure of signal inten-
sity. The 0- to 10-photons-per-m
2
-range
shown is consistent with that represented
by the authors of the article, but it is worth
pointing out at this stage that it represents
a particularly bright signal regime. For
example, a value of only 1 photon per m
2
is equal to 169 photons falling within a
13-m pixel.
This is by no means a true test of the
low-light capability of either technology.
Nevertheless, for consistency of compari-
son, we show here a 13-m-pixel, back-
illuminated EMCCD (similar to the iXon3
888 model), a nonbinned sCMOS (6.5-m
pixel) and a 2 2 binned (13-m)
sCMOS. The specifications for sCMOS
are based on the Andor Neo camera, oper-
ated in rolling shutter mode at the maxi-
mum readout speed of 560 MHz and fan-
cooled to 30 C.
It is evident that the consideration of a
curve for a 2 2 binned sCMOS provides
a new perspective on just how effective
the pixel size becomes on the overall
sensitivity performance. Across the range
shown, the 2 2 binned sCMOS appears
to exhibit a better SNR than the equivalent
pixel size of a (nonbinned) back-illumi-
nated EMCCD camera. Thus, employing
the signal range shown in Figure 1, and
taking the argument to the natural conclu-
sion of including a curve of equal pixel
size, this outlook actually becomes rather
damaging for EMCCD technology.
Figure 1: Plot comparing SNR of sCMOS (nonbinned vs. 2 2 binned) and larger pixel EMCCD (nonbinned)
as a function of incident photons per square micron on the sensor. Note that the range shown represents
relatively bright signal.
Figure 2: Plots from Figure 1, expanded across the 0- to 0.5-photons/m
2
intensity range. The low-light region
where EMCCD maintains a sensitivity advantage over 2 2 binned sCMOS is indicated.
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But in actual fact, in doing so, we are
not considering the truly low-light signal
intensities and associated applications
whereby EMCCD technology will provide
a meaningful SNR advantage. Figure 2
shows the same data, but expanded on
the low-light-intensity range between
0- and 0.5-photons/m
2
sensor area. Here
we can see that at signal intensities below
0.36 photons/m
2
, the back-illuminated
EMCCD will indeed offer an improved
SNR compared with the 2 2 binned
sCMOS. This, in effect, is the region in
which the zero read noise properties
of an EMCCD outweigh the negative
influence of multiplicative noise.
Such raw sensitivity performance at
extremely low light signal intensities
means that EMCCD technology will still
be the detector of choice for a number
of demanding applications; e.g., the
principal microscopy usage of EMCCDs
to date has been in the field of single-
molecule biophysics, and this is unlikely
to change significantly. Although the
majority of live-cell microscopy experi-
ments may eventually opt to use sCMOS
technology, particularly to benefit from
the 6.5-m-pixel size combined with a
larger field of view of the 5.5-megapixel
sensor, there undoubtedly are low-light
instances in which a back-illuminated
EMCCD will remain indispensable. Fur-
thermore, because sCMOS cameras are
not single-photon-sensitive, EMCCD
technology is still required for single-
photon-counting experiments.
The more likely scenario with regard
to cell microscopy is that, through offer-
ing improved sensitivity, speed, field of
view and dynamic range, sCMOS cameras
will displace the small-pixel-interline
CCD cameras that currently dominate
this area.
A second serious issue with the refer-
enced article concerns a grossly erroneous
assumption of the contribution of sCMOS
dark current in global shutter readout
mode. Within the SNR plots presented,
the authors appear to have modeled global
shutter dark current as having a value of
several electrons/pixel/second. In actual
fact, the global shutter dark current during
exposure is the same as that in rolling
shutter mode (~0.07 e
/pixels/second
with 30 C cooling).
However, a further constant that must
be added is attributed to elevated dark
current during global shutter readout, but
this is typically only ~0.1 e
. Thus, the
resulting dark signal for global shutter
exposures of less than 1 s is ~0.2 e
at 30 C, minimally affecting the

overall SNR.
Dr. Colin Coates
Andor Technology
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Slow light
I enjoyed reading the Photonics Spectra
article on slow light (February, p. 42),
especially on its limitations discussed at
length by the interviewed scientists. Just
for the record, I want to attract readers
attention to the fact that these limitations
did not surface just yesterday; it was
predicted as early as 2005 that the optical
buffers would hit the wall because of
dispersion and loss in a paper I wrote
titled Optical buffers based on slow light
in electromagnetically induced transparent
media and coupled resonator structures:
comparative analysis (Journal of the
Optical Society of America B, Vol. 22,
Issue 5, pp. 1062-1074 (2005); doi:10.
1364/JOSAB.22.001062).
Particularly, I would like to cite a
rather unambiguous conclusion made in
that paper: Is there a place for slow-
light optical buffers in optical communi-
cation-processing, and what type of
medium best fits the requirements? For
the EIT-type buffers notwithstanding
their main advantage (ability to vary delay
continuously), the answer is unequivocally
negative.
Had that advice been heeded, lots of
scarce resources and public goodwill
could have been spared by actually direct-
ing the effort toward the only remotely
practical slow light structures based on
integrated optics with photonic crystals
and microresonators.
But this is all water under the bridge,
and slow light research has been indeed
a fascinating ride!
Jacob B. Khurgin
Johns Hopkins University
14
l
LETTERS
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Optofluidics Branches Out Advances will benefit
a range of applications, from field monitoring
to security screening to point-of-care diagnostics.
Nanolasers Take Lasing to New Lows Scientists are
striving to reduce the size and complexity of
lasers. One promising solution takes the form
of spasers, nanolasers that employ surface
plasmons to create a feedback system.
Designing Software Optical design software
can be vital to the efficient operation of visual,
laser, imaging and nonimaging optical systems
such as lithography, telescopes, scanners,
interferometers and solar cell concentrators.
Imaging the Hyperspectral Way ASD Inc.
describes some of the advances in
hyperspectral and multispectral image
analysis along with some surprising
applications of hyperspectral remote
sensing.
Photonics Medias industry-leading site features the latest industry news
and events from around the world.
LIGHT EXCHANGE
Welcome to
Check out a sample of the digital
version of Photonics Spectra magazine
at www.photonics.com/DigitalSample.
Its a whole new world of information
for people in the global photonics
industry.
In the June issue of
Photonics Spectra
Light Exchange on Photonics.com provides an
easy link to all of our social media sites, including
Facebook, Twitter, blogs, forum and our new poll
question section. Participate in Light Exchange
we want to hear from you.
Light Matters
In our weekly newscast, Light Matters editors from
Photonics.com, Photonics Spectra and BioPhotonics
talk about the top photonics news of the week.
Visit www.Photonics.com each week
to see the latest Light Matters newscast.
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A game of quantum hot potato
BOULDER, Colo. To simplify information processing for quan-
tum computers and simulations, scientists have coaxed two atoms
in separate locations to take turns jiggling back and forth while
swapping the smallest measurable units of energy.
For the first time, physicists at NIST (National Institute of
Standards and Technology) have enticed two beryllium ions to
take turns vibrating in an electromagnetic trap, exchanging the
quanta, or units of energy, that are a hallmark of quantum
mechanics. Their experiment yielded as little as one quantum
of energy traded between the ions, signi-
fying that the charged particles are linked
together. Acting as harmonic oscillators,
the ions are similar to a pendulum or
tuning fork, which makes a repetitive
back-and-forth motion.
The scientists conducted their experi-
ments using a one-layer ion trap cooled
to 269 C with a liquid helium bath.
They found that the position of the ions
only 40 m apart enabled stronger cou-
pling, while the cryogenic temperatures
prevented distortion of ion behavior.
To begin the energy swapping demon-
stration, the researchers cooled both ions
with a laser to slow their motion, then
cooled them further with two opposing
ultraviolet laser beams to a motionless
state. Next, they tuned the voltage of the
trap electrodes to turn on the coupling
interaction.
Ion-swapping energy levels were
measured every 155 s at the several-
quanta level and every 218 s at the
single-quantum level. The investigators
observed two round-trip exchanges at the single-quantum level;
they also found that the ions would swap energy indefinitely un-
less heating disrupted the process.
A similar experiment in 2009 demonstrated entanglement. This
time, however, the scientists coupled the oscillators motions
more directly than before. They also observed quantum behavior
but, in contrast to the earlier experiment, did not verify entangle-
ment. The findings appeared online Feb. 23, 2011, in Nature
(doi: 10.1038/nature09721).
NEWS
TECH
CANBERRA, Australia An
atom laser that behaves exactly
like a light laser has opened up
new possibilities in applications
such as holograms.
A research team from The
Australian National University
ARC Centre of Excellence for
Quantum-Atom Optics has
shown that a beam of helium
atoms can be made to have
properties similar to a coherent
laser light beam. The atom
study confirms a theory first
developed for light nearly
50 years ago by Roy Glauber,
winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize
in physics.
When scientists measure the
time between the arrivals of the
photons in laser beams, they
find that the photons are ran-
domly spaced, with all arrival
times between photons equally
probable. However, incoherent
sources such as lightbulbs
exhibit photon bunching, where
it is more likely that photons
will arrive within a short time
of each other. The bunching is
manifested by photons arriving
in pairs (second order) or in
triplets (third order).
The investigators realized
that if they made the atoms
extremely cold within one-
millionth of a degree of abso -
lute zero they could force
them to march in step, creating
an atom laser that behaves co-
herently exactly as a laser beam
composed of photons. This
showed, for the first time, that
the same second- and third-
order-coherence properties of
lasers also apply to atoms.
In addition, the cold atom laser
demonstrated random distribu-
tion of arrival times with no
bunching, indicating that it
was perfectly coherent.
When the atoms were
warmed back up, the group
found that they no longer
behaved coherently and once
again exhibited bunching in
pairs and triplets.
The research appeared in
Science, Feb. 25, 2011 (doi:
10.1126/science.1198481).
Atoms acting as lasers
Scientists at NIST used this apparatus to coax two beryllium ions into swapping the smallest measurable units
of energy back and forth, a technique that could simplify information processing in a quantum computer.
Courtesy of Y. Colombe, NIST.
511TechNews.qxd:Layout 1 4/20/11 4:27 PM Page 18
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Ti: Sapphire Mirror
Mirrors, beamsplitters, polarizers and
prisms for Ti:Sapphire or ber lasers
applications.
KIEL, Germany Using pulses in the
soft x-ray spectral region, scientists have
demonstrated how quickly an intense
laser can change the electrical properties
of solids. The findings may lead to the
development of optoelectronic compo-
nents with faster data transmission rates
or optical switches.
The new technique enabled researchers
from the universities of Kiel and Kaiser-
slautern and from the University of Col-
orado in Boulder to take snapshots of the
electronic switching processes that occur
within a fraction of a second. The images
were combined in a series to deliver a
film depicting the switching process with
a level of detail and temporal resolution
never before achieved.
They recorded films of ultrafast pro -
cesses in a much more comprehensive
manner than had been previously possible
with similar techniques. In doing so, they
directly tracked phase transitions in solids
or catalytic reactions on surfaces.
The amount of information gained
from our pictures when played back in
slow motion is vast, said Michael Bauer,
professor at the Institute of Experimental
and Applied Physics at Kiel. We will get
completely new insights into most relevant
electronic properties of solids, which are
important for a variety of current and
future technologies; for example, in
telecommunications.
The research appeared in Nature, March
9, 2011 (doi: 10.1038/nature09829).
Extremely fast film processes recorded
This laser system generated ultrashort x-ray pulses used to measure changes in the electrical properties of
solids. Courtesy of Rohwer et al, University of Kiel.
These two still frames were recorded using the newly developed imaging method. The time interval between
them is only 0.00000000000007 s.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Production of
inexpensive hydrogen for automotive or
jet fuel may one day be possible by mim-
icking photosynthesis, but a number of
hurdles first must be overcome.
Scientists at Pennsylvania State Univer-
sity have developed an artificial system
that can mimic photosynthesis in the hope
of creating a practical, inexpensive way to
make jet fuel. Using the energy in blue
light, their work has yielded only 2 to 3
percent hydrogen. The blue light is much
less efficient than other solar energy con-
version technologies, but the investigators
have hope.
Although some researchers have used
solar cells to make electricity or used con-
centrated solar heat to split water, both
processes are energy-intensive. The key to
direct conversion, scientists say, is elec-
trons. As with the dyes that occur natu-
rally in plants, inorganic dyes absorb sun-
light, and the energy kicks out an electron.
When left on its own, the electron can re-
combine to create heat, but if channeled
molecule to molecule far enough away
from where it originated, it can reach the
catalyst and split the hydrogen from the
oxygen in water.
Recombination of electrons is not the
only problem the scientists face. They
also must address the oxygen-
evolving end of the system,
which currently limits the
lifetime of the system to a
few hours. Even though
natural photosynthesis
has the same problem,
it can repair itself by
periodically replac-
ing the oxygen-evolving complex
and the protein molecules around it.
The researchers have not yet been able
to provide a fix to the oxidation process.
Currently, they are using only blue
light, but they would like to expand into
the entire visible spectrum from the sun.
In addition, their experiments use only
expensive components titanium oxide
and platinum dark electrodes, and an irid-
t TECHNEWS
Mimicking photosynthesis for cheap hydrogen fuel
ium oxide catalyst. Substi-
tutions are necessary, and
researchers at other institu-
tions have begun working on
an alternative solution. An MIT
group is investigating cobalt and
nickel catalysts, and manganese is
under investigation at Yale and Princeton
universities.
The system uses only one photon at a
time, but the Penn State researchers antici-
pate that a two-photon system, albeit more
complicated, would be more effective in
using the full spectrum of sunlight. Re-
search will continue, and they will focus
their efforts to track all the energy path-
ways in the cell to understand the kinetics,
with the hope of modeling the cells and
adjusting the portions to decrease energy
loss and increase efficiency.
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t TECHNEWS
USAF works to improve
silicon photonics processes
A dark-field optical image of a silicon photonic chip is shown in
comparison to the size of a penny. Courtesy of Elijah Douglas
Christenson.
ARLINGTON, Va. The US Air Force Office of Scientific
Research announced that it will fund efforts to put silicon
photonics within the grasp of scientists and startup compa-
nies. The new program will be called OpSIS, short for
Optoelectronic Systems Integration in Silicon, and will be
housed at the University of Washingtons Nanophotonics
Lab in Seattle.
The OpSIS programs goal is to bring prototyping
capabilities within reach of startup companies and re-
searchers. It will provide design rules, device-design
support and design-flow development to nonexperts so
they can design and integrate photonics and electronics.
Although many research groups are designing, building
and testing silicon photonic devices or optical chips
in-house, the OpSIS researchers will use a shared infra-
structure at the foundry at BAE Systems in Manassas, Va.
There, they will work toward creating high-end, on-shore
manufacturing capabilities that they hope will be made
available to a wider community.
Over the past decade, silicon photonics has brought
about a digital electronics revolution. But high cost and
a lack of standard processes have kept complex photonic
circuitry incorporating silicon chips has been out of reach
for researchers in the past few years. In an effort to make
silicon photonics more accessible, scientists are building
a less expensive, next-generation silicon-based electro-
optical chip using commercial nanofabrication tools; the
new chips could improve data communications, lasers
and detectors.
Silicon optical chips are crucial to the US Air Force
because of their size, weight, power, rapid cycle time and
program risk reduction and, most importantly, because
they can move information in computers using light and
electricity.
By harnessing the ability to develop optical chips for
commercial uses and create software tools that will make
the design process easier, the integration of silicon photon-
ics into new system capabilities is expected to impact the
Air Force, the Department of Defense and commercial
avionics.
ARLINGTON, Va. The big buzz aboard
US Navy vessels these days is the one com-
ing from noisy fluorescent lighting, prompt-
ing the rollout of a quieter alternative.
The Solid State Lighting (SSL) project,
created by the Office of Naval Researchs
TechSolutions program, is one of several
using recommendations and suggestions
from Navy and Marine Corps personnel.
The project introduced 33 energy-saving,
nonhazardous LED fixtures to the USS
New Hampshire in late January. Installa-
tion also is scheduled in July aboard the
USS New Mexico. These submarines will
serve as pilot platforms to enable the
Navy to measure savings achieved from
the SSL project.
The LED fixtures also are being installed
for testing on three surface ships: the USS
Pearl Harbor, USS Preble and USS Chafee.
Although the SSL project is in its early
stages, the LED fixtures may one day
replace existing hazardous fluorescent
lights aboard submarines and surface
ships. LEDs can reduce fuel use and
maintenance requirements
fleetwide and increase fleet
readiness. They contain no
hazardous materials, unlike
fluorescents, which must be
stored onboard until expensive
and intensive disposal proce-
dures are carried out.
TechSolutions worked
with Energy Focus to produce
patented LED fixtures that are
direct replacements for fluo -
rescents. The replacements
produce the same light output
but use half the power. Energy
Focus fixtures have had a good
track record on Navy ships,
but TechSolutions products
were the first to be fully quali-
fied by the service. Those
components met the most
stringent electromagnetic inter-
ference standards, requiring
innovative manufacturing
methods.
22
t TECHNEWS
Navy looks to deep-six noisy lighting
Submarines and surface ships may one day have all their fluorescent
lights replaced by solid-state LED fixtures.
511_PowerTechnology_Pg23.qxd:Layout 1 4/20/11 11:24 AM Page 23
TROY, N.Y. A new detection method
extends the distance from which powerful
terahertz technology can remotely sniff
out hidden explosives, chemicals and
other materials.
Benjamin Clough, a doctoral student
at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has
developed a technique that uses sound
waves to boost the effective distance of
terahertz spectroscopy from a few feet
to several meters. For the innovation,
Clough was named winner of the 2011
$30,000 Lemelson-MIT Rensselaer Stu-
dent Prize, which is awarded annually
to a Rensselaer senior or graduate student
who has created or improved a product
or process, applied a technology in a
new way, redesigned a system or demon-
strated remarkable inventiveness in
other ways.
Cloughs method circumvents a funda-
mental limitation of remote tera hertz spec-
troscopy, which is that it works at only
short distances, so it has not been suitable
for detecting bombs or hazardous materials.
24
t TECHNEWS
Terahertz bomb sniffer wins student prize
Benjamin Clough, a doctoral student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has developed a method for extending
the distance from which terahertz technology can detect explosives, chemicals and other hazardous materials.
Courtesy of Kris Qua, Rensselaer.
His method uses sound waves to re-
motely listen to terahertz signals and
identify a target. First, two laser beams
are focused into the air to create small
bursts of plasma, which in turn create
terahertz pulses. Second, another pair of
lasers is aimed near the target to create
a second plasma, which detects the tera-
hertz pulses from the first two laser
beams after they have interacted with
the material. The detection plasma pro-
duces acoustic waves as it ionizes in
the air.
Using a sensitive microphone to listen
to the plasma, Clough detected terahertz
wave information embedded in the sound
waves. The information was converted
into digital data and checked against a
library of known terahertz fingerprints
to determine the targets chemical com -
position.
Using acoustics, Clough has identified
terahertz fingerprints from several meters
away. Separately, he has demonstrated
plasma acoustic detection from 11 m,
a distance limited only by available
lab space.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. Scientists have developed an N-slit laser interferometer
that is suitable for secure terrestrial free-space optical communications over
propagation distances and clear-air turbulence detection.
The device was created by physicists from Interferometric Optics and the
US Army Space and Missile Defense Command. The findings were reported
in the Feb. 3, 2011, issue of Journal of Optics (doi: 10.1088/2040-8978/13/3/
035710).
Previously, N-slit interferometers were used for industrial metrology
applications, including microdensitometry, microscopy and optical modula-
tion measurement of thin-film gratings generated from a variety of manufac-
turing processes. Advantages of this type of interferometer include a simple
architecture and the use of low- to medium-power single-transverse-mode
narrow-linewidth lasers.
The scientists proved experimentally that the device is a viable interfero-
metric tool over long free-space propagation paths under fair atmospheric
conditions. In the lab, they demonstrated that very subtle attempts to inter -
cept the interferometric characters, using microscopic natural fibers, could
be detected by observing the diffraction patterns superimposed over the
interferometric signal.
The US Army High Energy Laser Laboratory project was funded through
a subcontract to BAE Systems.
25
t TECHNEWS
N-slit laser interferometer developed
STANFORD, Calif. A new ultrasensitive
electronic skin can detect chemicals and
biological molecules in addition to sensing
an incredibly light touch. And now, this
superskin can be powered by stretchable
solar cells, opening up more applications
in clothing, robots, prosthetic limbs and
more.
Researchers at Stanford University are
making the skin self-powering, using poly-
mer cells to generate electricity. The new
cells are not just flexible but also stretch-
able. They can be stretched up to 30 per-
cent beyond their original length and snap
back without any damage or loss of power.
The artificial skins foundation is a flex-
ible organic transistor made with polymers
and carbon-based materials. To allow
touch sensing, the transistor contains a
thin, highly elastic rubber layer molded
into a grid of tiny inverted pyramids.
When pressed, this layer changes its thick-
ness, altering the current flow through the
transistor. The sensors have from several
hundred thousand to 25 million pyramids
per square centimeter, depending upon the
desired level of sensitivity.
To detect a particular biological mole-
cule, the surface of the transistor must be
coated with a different molecule that binds
to the first one when both come into con-
tact. The coating layer has to be only 1 or
2 nm thick. The sensor can be adjusted to
detect chemical or biological materials.
The team members successfully demon-
strated the concept by detecting a certain
kind of DNA. They are now working to
extend the technique to detect specific
protein biomarkers that could be useful
for medical diagnostics. The same ap-
proach can also be used to detect chemical
substances in either vapor or liquid envi-
ronments, they said.
Regardless of what the sensors detect,
they transmit their data to the processing
center, whether a human brain or a com-
puter, via electronic signals. Running on
solar power, the sensors are light, mobile
and simple to use.
The discovery has opened the door to
many possible applications. Its stretchabil-
ity offers the potential to bond solar cells
to curved surfaces such as car exteriors or
architectural elements without cracking or
wrinkling. One day, the innovation could
even allow robots and other devices to
perform functions that human skin cannot.
The research appeared online Feb. 25,
2011, in Advanced Materials (doi:
10.1002/adma.201004426).
26
t TECHNEWS
Superskin goes solar
The foundation for the artificial skin is an organic transistor made with flexible polymers and carbon-based
materials. Courtesy of L.A. Cicero.
Manipulating nanowires for single-mode lasers
HANGZHOU, China, and BEIJING A single-nanowire laser has been devel-
oped that, unlike earlier ones, which operated mostly in multiple modes, operates
in a controllable single mode.
Researchers from Zhejiang and Peking universities used a nanowire between
50 and 75 m in length and 200 nm in diameter to develop the breakthrough
laser, which emits a wavelength of about 738 nm.
To produce a nanowire that functions as a single-mode laser, the scientists
excited a looped nanowire with a pulsed laser. The looped nanowire doubles as
a loop mirror, reducing the lasing threshold and increasing the wires reflectivity.
Together, the low threshold and high reflectivity create a high-quality lasing cav-
ity in the nanowire.
By adjusting the loop size with fiber probes, the team tuned the lasers wave-
length. When the loop size was reduced, the optical path of the smaller lasing
cavity caused the wavelength to change.
This single-mode laser could be used as a nanoscale coherent light source for
optical communications, sensing and signal processing applications.
A study of their findings was published online Feb. 15, 2011, in Nano Letters
(doi: 10.1021/nl1040308).
t TECHNEWS
More powerful integrated circuits
SUNNYVALE, Calif. A record 1 Tb/s
on a single integrated indium phosphide
chip has been achieved, allowing for
more efficient data-handling technologies
and expanding the capacities of optical
networks.
Infinera Corp. has manufactured a pho-
tonic integrated circuit (PIC) that enables
optical networks to be more powerful,
flexible and reliable using equipment
that is significantly smaller and less ex-
pensive and that uses less energy than
previous systems. At the core of a new
10-channel receiver, with each channel
operating at 100-Gb/s data rates, the latest
PIC contains more than 150 optical com-
ponents on a chip smaller than a finger-
nail. The components include frequency-
tunable local oscillator (LO) lasers,
devices for mixing the LO and incoming
signals, variable optical attenuators for
LO power control, a spectral demulti-
plexer that separates individual wave-
length channels, and 40 balanced photo -
detector pairs.
The new technical advance behind the
technology is its ability to detect incoming
data encoded using a spectrally efficient
modulation technique known as polariza-
tion multiplexed quadrature phase-shift
keying, or PM-QPSK. The technique
enables four times more information to
be conveyed each second than possible
with the previous method of simply
switching a laser light on and off.
Infinera expects its terabit PICs to be
commercially available within the next
few years. Its 500-Gb/s PIC will be avail-
able in 2012, and its 100-Gb/s devices are
in use in long-haul and metro networks
worldwide.
At a fraction of the cost and power
consumption, the PIC optical networks
may soon take on the intelligent features
of routed networks, with the ability to
reroute traffic in the event that a fiber
breaks.
The work was presented at OFC/NFOEC
on March 7.
Compiled by Photonics Spectra staff
Photonic integrated chips with faster, more powerful
processing ability aim to put electronic chips out of
business.
Some telecom laser makers produce 1M per month
R
obust growth is anticipated and,
in fact, already occurring in ele-
ments of the optical components
market. When compared with past quanti-
ties, one area of extraordinary growth is
lasers, the sources or drivers of any fiber
optic network, and their accompanying
receivers. In fact, the fiber optics telecom-
munications industry has never seen the
mass production of these components that
is currently under way. These tiny, grain-
of-salt-size devices that pulse billions of
times per second deliver a binary code
through optical fiber that enables voice
calls, video transmissions and data
messages.
Laurin Publishing (LP) believes that a
central reason for this acceleration is the
enormous global market for fiber-to-the-x
(FTTx) applications. However, there are
other drivers, including data centers and
other short-reach applications. Laser man-
ufacturers do not always know where the
devices they make end up, especially in
the volumes that are being dispensed.
Once, it would have been considered
substantial volume if an active compo-
nents vendor could make 10,000 transmit-
ters in a year, but the industry has reached
the point where some manufacturers now
make more than 1 million lasers per
month. The report details the level of pro-
duction and the corresponding downward
price spiral that continues to affect this in-
dustry.
These lasers remain relatively sophisti-
cated devices despite the massive volumes
being produced. They transmit at a narrow
or fixed wavelength, usually in the C-band
for distances of up to 20 km, with very
high reliability and operating at a versatile
temperature range with an extremely low
margin of error. Manufacturers say each
one of the sources is tested prior to ship-
ment.
BY C. DAVID CHAFFEE
CONTRIBUTOR
The $10 laser is coming
As the report will show, prices have
dropped precipitously. In fact, several
manufacturers told us that they now can
manufacture the lasers for about $10. This
fabled price goal for the laser driver goes
back to the first days of fiber optics, sug-
gested by founder Charles Kao and other
early pioneers as being necessary if the
technology were ever to reach its full
commercial potential. The fact that we
are approaching this level of cost for such
a complex and multifaceted device repre-
sents a milestone in the optical transport
industry.
We must mention one caveat. Retail
clients for these transceivers, including
system vendors and, finally, carriers, are
not paying these prices, but rather closer
to $25 or $30 per unit. That includes the
cost of the transceiver, plus packaging and
shipping.
For the purposes of this article, we will
discuss three manufacturers who make at
least more than 1 million of these lasers in
some months: BinOptics (US), CyOptics
(US) and Mitsubishi (Japan). (See table;
the report will have a complete listing, in-
cluding actual production levels both now
and projected for the next seven years.)
Before we get into the details of these
operations, it is important to make three
other points:
First, these vendors make this large
quantity of lasers and detectors directly for
the telecom market. Other optical compo-
nents vendors, such as Finisar and Oclaro,
both based in the US, can make even more
lasers Oclaro has been known to make 1
million in a week but these are vertical-
cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs).
VCSELs are used mainly in data commu-
nications and in consumer applications
and do not have the level of sophistication
of the distributed feedback lasers made in
quantity by the aforementioned vendors.
Second, other vendors have large opera-
tions that work directly with these suppli-
ers. Taiwan-based Delta and US-based
Ligent, for example, compile hundreds of
thousands of transceivers (a laser and de-
tector packaged in the same unit) every
month, largely from the lasers and detec-
tors that Mitsubishi and other vendors
make. Delta provides transceivers for
Gigabit passive optical network (GPON),
Ethernet passive optical network (EPON)
and Active Ethernet (AE) and at wave-
lengths that include 850, the coarse wave-
length division multiplexing slots, and
1310, 1490, 1510 and 1577 nm.
Third, despite the current quantities and
price levels, this is an ongoing growth
market, as is further defined in the report.
One new vendor soon to be part of the
equation is Onechip Photonics, based in
Canada, which formally announced prod-
ucts at OFC/NFOEC 2011 in March. With
a highly experienced team of optical com-
ponent experts, the company will be mak-
ing large quantities of transceivers using
photonic integrated circuit (PIC) tech-
nology.
BinOptics and Mitsubishi have signifi-
TRACK
FAST
A new report by the author, titled
The Market for Optical Components:
A Seven-Year Forecast, will be published
this month by Laurin Publishing.
Vendors Currently Making 1 Million or More Telecom Lasers Monthly
Corporate HQ Primary Compound/ Own Fab? Application
Name Location Wavelength
BinOptics US Indium Phosphide Yes GPON, EPON, AE
1310, 1490, 1550 nm
CyOptics US Indium Phosphide Yes GPON, EPON, AE
1270 to 1600 nm
Mitsubishi Japan Indium Phosphide Yes GPON, EPON, AE
1310, 1490,1550,
600, 800 nm
511FastTrack.qxd:Layout 1 4/20/11 3:41 PM Page 28
511_HeraeusQuartz_Pg29.qxd:Layout 1 4/20/11 11:21 AM Page 29
cant manufacturing operations in Asia. Cy-
Optics, on the other hand, operates the last
US-based large-scale turnkey commercial
InP fabrication facility in Pennsylvania.
Trend areas: PICs, fabless
Two terms you will hear frequently in
coming years when it comes to these laser
and components manufacturers are PICs
and fabless. These are both trends, how-
ever. Currently, the three manufacturers
cited all have their own fabs (fabrication
facilities) and, as cited below, there are
still important reasons for that control.
PICs allow vendors to make lasers on
wafers, so that literally hundreds can be
produced on one board. This is only one
of numerous examples where advances
from the silicon industry have immeasur-
ably helped the fiber optics industry.
To make PICs, vendors need fabs to
make the wafers. Why, then, do specific
vendors advertise themselves as being fab-
less? The reason is that costs can be held
down if the vendor outsources the wafer
manufacturing to a fabrication facility that
specializes in that work. The vendor, then,
does not incur all of the costs associated
with running its own facility.
The relationship between the vendor
and the fab owner is a critical one if ven-
dors are going this route, LP has found.
Fabs make chips for many types of appli-
cations, including consumer products such
as cell phones, CDs, automobiles and
computers.
We also should point out that some ven-
dors, including BinOptics, CyOptics and
Mitsubishi, do have their own fabs, giving
them greater control over the product and
perhaps reducing problems that may occur
in facilities that have multiple customers.
In fact, one reason the optical compo-
nents industry experienced a slowdown as
it was ramping up in the second half of
2009 and in 2010 was that these fab facili-
ties already were booked with other busi-
ness. There are only a finite number of
chip vendors, and the widespread deploy-
ments in consumer products have caused a
global drain in some instances. The report
observes that some optical transport ven-
dors have designed their own chips and
contracted with fabs to make them to their
specifications and timetables.
What are some of the specifications that
customers require for these popular lasers?
LP found that they require long wave-
lengths, generally in the 1310- to 1550-nm
range. The less expensive devices also
must be able to push signals out to 20 km
without the need for a repeater. Two popu-
lar materials for making the lasers are in-
dium phosphide and gallium arsenide.
Another consideration: Both CyOptics
and Mitsubishi do the epitaxial growth in-
ternally, while other vendors do not. They
again believe that control over this growth
is important for pricing, security and PIC
integration.
FTTx lasers: Three types
There are generally three flavors for
these lower-priced, higher-quantity trans-
ceivers that conform to the architectures
of the fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks
they serve: GPON, EPON and AE. These
largely are replacing BPON (broadband
passive optical networking), which was
the first popular PON architecture in some
markets.
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32
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FASTTRACK
Initially, EPON transceivers were the
least expensive of the three to make be-
cause they conformed to the looser Ether-
net standard. In fact, when Verizon de-
cided to adopt the GPON standard for its
FiOS buildout, it was adding cost to its
network at least at that time. However,
GPON is considered to have higher relia-
bility.
AE architectures are very exciting to
some people because they use a laser to
every residence (whereas PON trans-
ceivers are shared with multiple users).
This, of course, will add to the number of
lasers that are now being produced, which
manufacturers view as a positive develop-
ment. AE was seen as being more expen-
sive than GPON or EPON because more
transceivers were being used; it also was
seen as being more problematic because
the introduction of additional active de-
vices was viewed as causing the networks
to be less stable, resulting in higher main-
tenance.
However, the report finds that, as the
laser cost comes down, AE is seen as
being more economical and the cost bar-
rier as disappearing, just as it has between
GPON and EPON. It also finds that, as
laser reliability improves, the need to
maintain AE networks lessens. (Specific
breakouts by technology for the next
seven years are contained in the report.)
LP believes there are two lessons for the
optical components vendor here. First, the
successful vendor will be able to provide
lasers to all three markets: GPON, EPON
and AE. LP believes that not only will all
three continue to thrive as the global
FTTH market continues to explode, but
that a carrier often will require two for
the same job. This probably will be either
GPON or EPON together with AE. To
expand on this point, the US has largely
used BPON and then GPON because that
is what Verizon used as part of its FiOS
buildout, which has accounted for the
large majority of US FTTH connections.
However, cable TV companies are starting
to bring fiber to the home in America and
are committed to an EPON architecture.
The second lesson is that the successful
optical component vendor will know how
to continue to ramp up. AE already is
starting to catch on in Europe, and global
growth will continue unabated. If vendors
could make hundreds of thousands of
lasers every month five years ago, and
millions of lasers monthly now, it is not a
significant stretch to conclude that they
will need to make 5 million or even 10
million per month five years from now.
Not surprisingly, the more sophisticated
that transceivers become, the more they
cost; e.g., transceivers transmitting signals
greater than 20 km cost more, as do trans-
ceivers operating at higher data rates such
as 40 or 100 Gb/s.
As we discuss in another section of the
report, tunable lasers also cost signifi-
cantly more than fixed-wavelength types.
What is the main differentiator between
transceivers that cost more and those that
cost less? LP believes it is how well trans-
ceiver manufacturers can stay ahead of
the China-based manufacturers. Once the
China-based transceiver manufacturers can
make the component in volume, the price
reaches its low point, at least for now. LP
therefore encourages the transceiver man-
ufacturer to be innovative, to continue to
build in the right advances that will pro-
vide a uniqueness that customers will find
necessary.
Just as important, LP believes that it is
critical for optical component vendors to
develop relationships throughout the world
as the market evolves.
FTTH transceivers are kind of like tele-
phones or at least the way telephones
used to be. Someday, every residence will
have one. As we point out in the report,
our industry literally is looking at the
potential for billions of these devices.
Meet the author
C. David Chaffee is the principal author of The
Market for Optical Components: A Seven-Year
Forecast.
L
aurin Publishing will be taking
orders for the report shortly. Please
call +1 (413) 499-0514.
To order:
Attracting top workers is a full-time job in Germany
AHRENSBURG, Germany Machine
vision manufacturer Basler AG is ramping
up its hiring once again, reflecting an
economic rebound being experienced
throughout most of Germany. The com-
pany, which currently has about 250 em-
ployees, added five new people last year
as the recent downturn petered out. It ex-
pects to hire about 15 this year, mostly
software engineers and technicians.
Along with most of the rest of the
world, Germany fell hard into recession in
2008. By 2009, the last full year for which
stats are up to date, the country had an un-
employment rate of 7.9 percent, up from
7.2 percent the previous year, according to
the federal statistics office (Statistisches
Bundesamt Deutschland). Compared with
other economies, however, the dip was
shallower and shorter. By September
2010, the unemployment rate had already
fallen to 6.7 percent, much lower than the
9.6 percent average throughout the 27
members of the European Union.
Poised for new growth, companies like
Basler that are part of the German photon-
ics industry are trying to strengthen their
ability to attract and keep workers who are
Germanys employment rate is improving faster than in most other EU nations.
Data courtesy of Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland.
well trained and motivated.
Basler strives to keep existing employ-
ees, said Sabine Knppel, director of
human resources and organization, by of-
fering work/life balance and similar pro-
grams. Throughout the country, she added,
there have been both legislated and unleg-
islated efforts to encourage people to stay
in their careers. For example, unmandated
programs encourage young adults to start
families and to help new mothers maintain
their careers. Knppel noted one important
law meant to help workers stay focused on
careers: Men or women can work zero
hours or part time for up to three years,
with a return to their job guaranteed.
Other German photonics companies,
such as laser maker Trumpf, managed
to escape the downturn without laying
off any workers. Instead, the company
adopted the socially accepted model of
reducing hours in lieu of letting people go.
Technical education
The European Commission and other
pan-European organizations have called
on members to have well-trained re-
searchers who are ready and willing to
relocate to where the science and technical
jobs are. Likewise, there are calls for a
robust research infrastructure and first-rate
institutions of higher learning.
According to the 2010 UNESCO
(United Nations Educational Scientific and
Cultural Organization) Science Report,
most European universities run on the
principles of the Humboldt model, which
presumes that academic training must in-
volve a minimum level of involvement in
research. Unlike traditional European uni-
versity systems, this model practically
guarantees that acquiring an advanced
degree can take many years.
Europe spreads its research resources
thinly compared with the US. According
to UNESCO, European nations should
foster greater diversity in many areas,
funding being one of them. This will re-
quire pushing universities to more broadly
define themselves as the equivalent of lib-
eral arts colleges, offering separate bache-
lors and masters degrees. In most of Eu-
rope, however, students, their families and
employers dont consider a bachelors de-
gree to represent a full university educa-
tion, forming a cultural roadblock.
Nonetheless, such a shift is under way,
and the traditional education system in
Germany is changing from masters/bach-
elors equivalent (Dipl.) to more US-like
separate degrees, Baslers Knppel said.
While no national system for evaluating
university research exists in Germany,
there is a concerted effort to foster univer-
sity-level excellence in science and tech-
nology education.
Germanys Exzellenzinitiative (Excel-
lence Initiative) is the result of the coun-
trys federal government working with the
individual states to broaden academic di-
versity. To promote the split degree sys-
tem, the program has identified 39 excel-
lent graduate schools since 2005. Another
component of the initiative creates clusters
(37 thus far), including one centered on
nanosystems based in Munich.
Germany also employs a dual-education
system in which students go to school part
time while serving an apprenticeship for
three to 3.5 years. Companies such as Sill
33
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FASTTRACK
Optics GmbH & Co. KG in Wendelstein
employ one apprentice for every seven
regular staff. By the time they are fin-
ished, Knppel said the students are
primed to stay at the company.
Basler and Sill are generally happy with
the level of education provided their em-
ployees from both the university system
and from Germanys technical schools.
A problem in Germany for technical com-
panies, Knppel said, is finding ways to
engage a greater percentage of young
students (grade-school age) to aim for
science and technology careers.
Basler works closely with local schools,
through sponsorship of technology days,
providing projects and work groups as
well as site visits to the companys facili-
ties. Such school visits often try to engage
young women specifically.
There also is a Germany-wide little in-
ventors competition, designed to engage
young minds. And Basler offers two- to
three-week little internships for 12- to
17-year-old students.
Other projects geared toward attracting
young minds to science and technology
exist outside of industry and government.
CyberMentor is designed to draw more
women into technical careers by getting
girls interested in science at a young age.
Primarily an online community and re-
source geared toward girls aged 12 to 19,
the program provides access to mentors.
Lynn Savage
lynn.savage@photonics.com
through in ship protection. They demonstrated
an injector that can produce the electrons
needed to generate megawatt-class laser
beams for the Navys next-generation weapon
system. They are working to measure the prop-
erties of the continuous electron beams and
hope to set a world record for the average
current of electrons. The FEL is expected to
provide future US Naval forces with a near-
instantaneous laser ship defense. The laser
works by passing a beam of high-energy elec-
trons generated by an injector through a series
of strong magnetic fields, causing an intense
emission of laser light. The Office of Naval
Research hopes to test the FEL in a maritime
environment by 2018.
Companies to Advance Military Lasers Alfa-
light Inc. of Madison, Wis., a manufacturer of
high-power diode laser products and handheld
infrared and visible laser systems, has an-
nounced a strategic investment and technology
development agreement with In-Q-Tel of
Arlington, Va., an investment firm that provides
technology to support the missions of the US
Intelligence Community. The partnership ad-
vances Alfalights development of portable
military laser systems and builds upon its portfo-
lio of semiconductor laser technology, which
includes high efficiency, high brightness and
wavelength stabilization combined with electro-
optics and integrated control methodologies.
The collaboration also will accelerate the devel-
34
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FASTTRACK
High Demand for Crystal Grower Thermal
Technology of Santa Rosa, Calif., has received
59 orders for its Model K1 sapphire crystal
grower from customers in Taiwan, Korea and
China. In total, the growers will produce 5.2
million two-in-equivalents per year. The Model
K1, weighing 90 kg, outperforms other sapphire
crystal methods, including the HEM and Bridg-
man, and has a short cycle time, the company
said. The sapphire crystals are used as substrate
wafers for high-brightness blue and white LEDs,
which have applications in traffic lights, back-
lighting for flat panel displays, and common
lighting, such as streetlights and household
bulbs.
Laser Ship Defense Milestone At Los Alamos
National Laboratory in New Mexico, scientists
in the Office of Naval Researchs Free-Electron
Laser (FEL) program have achieved a break-
opment and availability of its products and tech-
nologies in the public and private sectors.
Boston Micromachines Wins Grant Boston
Micromachines Corp. of Cambridge, Mass., has
received a $100,000 Small Business Innovation
Research Program contract from NASA to sup-
port space-based imaging research. The Phase I
project is for the development of a high-resolu-
tion, fault-tolerant microelectromechanical
deformable mirror technology that will fill a gap
in NASAs road map for future coronagraphic
observatories. The company plans to implement
two complementary modifications to the manu-
facturing process: It will develop a drive elec-
tronics approach to limit actuator electrical cur-
rent density generated to prevent permanent
failure when a short-time-frame, single-fault
failure occurs, and it will modify the actuator
design to mitigate failure resulting from adhe-
sion between contacting surfaces of the actuator
flexure and fixed base. The company provides
mirror products for commercial adaptive optics
systems.
Company Rebrands Brush Engineered Materi-
als Inc. of Mayfield Heights, Ohio, has changed
its name to Materion Corp., unifying its busi-
nesses under the Materion brand. The company
has grown through acquisitions and internal
initiatives, which continued to operate under
their original names and brands. It also has
introduced a new logo and launched a new
website. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries,
it supplies advanced enabling materials to
global markets. Its portfolio includes precious
and nonprecious specialty metals, inorganic
chemicals and powders, specialty coatings,
beryllium alloys and composites, and engi-
neered clad and plated metal systems.
CEA-Leti Joins III-V Lab In France, in a move
to strengthen the industrial research capabilities
of the III-V Lab in Marcoussis, CEA-Leti of
Grenoble, a research and technology organiza-
tion, will join the center. Established by Alcatel-
Lucent of Paris and Thales of Neuilly-sur-Seine
in 2004, the center, a public-private partner-
ship, will combine III-V semiconductor and
silicon technologies, opening up research
perspectives and dynamics. The enlarged lab
will include more than 130 researchers, techni-
cians and doctoral candidates, leveraging the
silicon, microelectronics and heterogeneous
integration of the three companies. These
include the III-V components on silicon CMOS
integrated circuits and the development of
smarter, smaller components heterogeneously
integrating active III-V components with silicon
circuits and microsystems.
Companies Extend LED Deal LED lighting
company Cree Inc. of Durham, N.C., and Zum-
tobel Lighting GmbH of Dornbirn, Austria, will
continue to provide LED lighting technology in
Europe. Cree announced a two-year extension
of the agreement it signed in 2008 with Zumto-
bel. The latter provides its customers with LED
lighting based on Crees TrueWhite technology.
Molding Technology Developed A high-
speed molding technology that can form optical
components from glass taken directly from a
furnace without polishing or grinding has
been developed by Docter Optics of Neustadt
an der Orla, Germany. With funding in part by
the European Union, the company said this ini-
tial process will be further enhanced to demon-
strate that sophisticated optical components
can be economically produced using an in-line
molding process. High-volume applications also
include light pipes, which are required in mod-
ern concentrated photovoltaic systems, LED illu-
mination technology and wherever secondary
optical elements of glass are called for.
Fiber Lasers for Oil Industry NKT Photonics
A/S of Birkerd, Denmark, has been awarded a
volume contract to supply its low-noise Koheras
Basik fiber laser modules to an undisclosed
party for use in a seismic application within the
oil industry. The Koheras fiber laser is charac-
terized by a very low frequency and noise inten-
sity, and inherent single-frequency operation. It
has been used in the oil industry for exploration
and for monitoring the structural integrity of
pipelines, in the defense sector for acoustic
detection, and in the wind turbine industry for
Doppler sensing.
35
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FASTTRACK
511_ILXLightwave_Pg36.qxd:Layout 1 4/20/11 11:21 AM Page 36
GreenLight
Ultrafast laser scribes solar cells
A
new manufacturing method using
an ultrafast pulsing laser could
make thin-film solar cell arrays a
more efficient and less expensive means
of power generation.
The current method of connecting solar
panels into arrays that generate usable
electricity involves mechanically scribing
with a stylus, but this technique is less
than ideal: Not only is it slow and
expensive, but it also produces
imperfect channels.
The efficiency of solar cells depends
largely on how accurate your scribing
of microchannels is, said Yung Shin, a
professor of mechanical engineering and
director of Purdue Universitys Center
for Laser-Based Manufacturing. If
they are made as accurately as possible,
efficiency goes up.
Shin and his team are working to in-
crease solar cell efficiency using an ultra-
short-pulse laser on thin-film solar cells
to produce the microchannels, he said.
Production costs of solar cells have
been greatly reduced by making them
out of thin films instead of wafers,
but it is difficult to create high-quality
microchannels in these thin films, Shin
said. The mechanical scribing methods
in commercial use do not create high-
quality, well-defined channels.
Although laser scribing has been
studied extensively, until now we havent
been able to precisely control lasers to
accurately create the microchannels to the
exacting specifications required.
The groups research shows that the
ultrafast laser pulses formed microchan-
nels with sharp boundaries and precisely
specified depths. The laser pulses last
only a matter of picoseconds, so the
laser does not cause heat damage to the
thin film. It removes material precisely
through cold ablation.
It creates very clean microchannels
on the surface of each layer, Shin said.
You can do this at very high speed
meters per second which is not possible
with a mechanical scribe.
This is very tricky because the laser
must be precisely controlled so that it
penetrates only one layer of the thin film
at a time, and the layers are extremely
thin. You can do that with this kind of
laser because you have a very precise
control of the depth, to about 10 to 20
nanometers.
Approximately 20 percent of the global
photovoltaic market in terms of watts
generated is made up of thin-film solar
cells, and experts predict that this will rise
to 31 percent by 2013.
The research is led by Shin and Gary
Cheng, an associate professor of industrial
engineering. The work is funded through
a three-year, $425,000 grant from the
National Science Foundation.
A paper demonstrating the methods
feasibility was published in Proceedings
of the 2011 NSF Engineering Research
and Innovation Conference. The paper
was written by Shin, Cheng and
graduate students Wenqian Hu,
Martin Yi Zhang and Seunghyun Lee.
laura.marshall@photonics.com
37
BY LAURA S. MARSHALL
MANAGING EDITOR
A scanning electron microscope image shows a microchannel that was created using an ultrafast-pulsing laser.
Courtesy of Purdue University School of Mechanical Engineering. Image/Yung Shin.
The groups research shows
that the ultrafast laser pulses
formed microchannels with
sharp boundaries and
precisely specified depths.
511_Greenlight.qxd:Layout 1 4/20/11 5:25 PM Page 37
Imaging in the
Ultrafast Lane
BY HANK HOGAN
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Observing what happens when atoms interact or proteins fold requires
picosecond or faster imaging. Recent innovations promise to allow
researchers to capture previously invisible events. That capability could
have industrial and medical uses, as can be seen with examples of
imaging below and above the visible spectrum.
511_UltrafastImaging.qxd:Layout 1 4/21/11 10:42 AM Page 38
(Opposite) An ultrafast laser frequency upshifted into
a rainbow of laserlike x-rays spans the entire soft x-ray
region of the spectrum. This enables any element in a
sample to be identified chemically, or a movie of any
reaction to be made in real time. Courtesy of Tenio
Popmintchev, JILA.
(Above) An x-ray converter developed at JILA takes
an ultrafast laser and converts it into laserlike beams
at much shorter wavelengths and pulse duration. The
laser accelerates electrons within an atom that then
radiate a rainbow of laserlike x-rays. Reprinted from
Nature Photonics. Courtesy of Tenio Popmintchev
and Brad Baxley, JILA.
(Left) Combined laser and x-ray beams can
excite and probe a molecule to follow how the
electron density and atoms move during chemical
reactions. Courtesy of Greg Kuebler, JILA.
For ultrafast imaging at wavelengths well below the
visible, consider the work being done by a team led by
professors Henry Kapteyn and Margaret Murnane. The
married couple holds appointments in physics at the Uni-
versity of Colorado at Boulder and JILA, a physical sci-
ence research institute jointly operated by the university
and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Their research focuses on generating and using coherent
laserlike x-rays.
As described in the December 2010 issue of Nature
Photonics, they start with a femtosecond laser pulse and
send it into a gas cloud inside a hollow waveguide. The
resulting high harmonic generation produces an output
that can be thousands of times shorter in wavelength.
The laser and gas determine the output wavelength and
its brightness. For instance, a Ti:sapphire beam at 800 nm
and argon yield a 29-nm wavelength output, while the use
of helium leads to a 13-nm output. Recently, the group has
figured out how to produce light of nano-
meter wavelengths, which somewhat para-
doxically will need mid-IR lasers operating
at 1.3 m and longer, Murnane said.
With shorter wavelengths, the investiga-
tors will improve imaging resolution, since
the classical diffraction limit is about half
the wavelength. The push down from
extreme-ultraviolet, at 13 nm, into x-rays
as short as 1 nm should allow an equivalent
enhancement in resolving object details.
Theres another effect of this approach,
Kapteyn said. If you do it under the right
conditions, you generate an attosecond
pulse.
Like the wavelength, the pulse duration
is thousands of times smaller than the ori -
ginal. Results indicate that pulses of about
5 as can be generated. At 10
18
seconds, an
attosecond is so short that light travels only
one-third of a nanometer. These brief bursts
of light should allow the capture of electron
dynamics in materials and molecules.
For imaging, the researchers illuminate
an object with a coherent beam and collect
the scattered light. Visually, this looks like
a mess, but it contains information from
which spatial data can be extracted.
Whats more, light below 4 nm is
absorbed by elements such as carbon
and nitrogen and so can provide elemen -
tal information. In particular, water is
relatively transparent in this region, but
carbon is strongly absorbing, leading to
an interesting possibility.
You can image carbon content in an
x-ray image with 10-nm resolution for a
field of view thats about the size of a
single cell, Kapteyn said.
Nonbiological uses of the technique
could include tracking the dynamics of
semiconductors by following transistor heat
dissipation. For hard disks, changes in data
bit magnetization could be measured, an
important topic as the industry strives to
make higher-capacity disks.
Imaging is done by having the energetic
photons directly strike a CCD sensor,
which causes some chip damage. The tech-
nique is also limited to imaging depths of
only a few microns, and the beam itself has
to travel in vacuum. The sample being
imaged can sit in atmosphere, pressed up
against a transparent window.
The key to the latest advance has been a
better understanding of the nonlinear optics
Although researchers have been focusing on sources, detectors have also
been improving. One example comes from Teledyne Dalsa, the Waterloo,
Ontario, Canada-based camera maker. In December 2010, the company
announced a CMOS line-scan camera with 1146-megapixel-per-second
throughput. The data rate is high enough that the camera requires a new
interface. Dubbed HSLink, it forms the foundation for Camera Link HS,
a proposed successor to the interface standard Camera Link.
Another example comes from Fairchild Imaging, a Milpitas, Calif.-based
company currently being acquired by British defense contractor BAE Sys-
tems that makes both CMOS- and CCD-based imaging systems. The com-
pany realized a few years ago, said Colin Earle, vice president of sales and
marketing for Fairchild Imaging, that the scientific community could use
a faster, higher sensitivity sensor with more dynamic range than CCDs
offer. The company therefore developed its scientific CMOS sensors.
Fairchild Imaging partnered with both Andor Technology plc of Belfast, UK,
and Kelheim, Germany-based PCO in bringing to market systems that are
based on the technology.
Earle said that the sensors and imaging systems based on them have been
well received. They offer capture rates of up to 100 fps, about five times
faster than comparable CCD sensors, but do so without sacrificing whats
important to the target market.
In particular, researchers want a low-noise sensor, Earle said. A scientist
cares about low noise because he wants to be able to measure faint signals,
and hes got to ensure that his noise floor is below what hes trying to
measure without resorting to multiplicative gain techniques that introduce
further uncertainty.
Not ultrafast,
but faster
ULTRAFAST IMAGING
40
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511_LambdaResOptics_Pg41.qxd:Layout 1 4/20/11 11:22 AM Page 41
that transform an infrared beam into x-rays.
Decades ago, the first x-ray lasers were
powered by stadium-size sources, but
with this breakthrough, that situation has
changed.
We can generate very useful amounts of
x-ray light, and its on a tabletop, Kapteyn
said.
So far, the group has done extreme-ultra-
violet imaging in three dimensions in space
and in one dimension with time resolution.
The investigators plan to combine these
and lower the wavelength, thereby enabling
nanoscale imaging with subfemtosecond
resolution. Kapteyn and Murnane formed
a company more than a decade ago to com-
mercialize their research and innovations.
In addition to ultrafast imaging below
the visible, theres work under way to do
the same at wavelengths that are much
longer. Take, for example, research being
done at Imperial College London by
physics professor Chris Phillips. His group
demonstrated ultrafast infrared chemical
imaging of live cells, reporting on the
work in the January 2011 issue of
Chemical Science.
They were able to capture an image in
about 100 ps, roughly 100 billion times
faster than current mid-IR spectroscopic
imaging techniques can. They achieved
this through two innovations. The first
was a new source, and the second was a
new detector.
Of the two, the source was the more
important, Phillips said. Other than large
scientific installations like synchrotrons and
free-electron lasers, theres really nothing in
that part of the spectrum that tunes across
the wavelength range of interest and gives
A mid-infrared image of a single live SK-OV-3 human ovarian cancer cell undergoing mitosis. Visible image
(a) and IR transmission image (b) at 4.1 m, along with false-color IR image (c). Dividing nuclei of the cell are
clearly visible. The image was acquired in 100 ps at a 1.9-m pixel size. Reprinted from Chemical Science.
Courtesy of Chris Phillips, Imperial College London.
ULTRAFAST IMAGING
anything like the time resolution we can
manage.
Using a custom-built optical parametric
amplifier, the source can deliver peak
power of 100 W to the sample, starting
with a 2.78-m beam generated from a
doped yttrium scandium gallium garnet
rod. This pulsed beam passes through a
zinc germanium phosphide crystal, shifting
the wavelength of the pulse. By altering the
crystal angle, the output can be tuned over
the range from 3 to more than 10 m.
The detector is a commercial mercury-
cadmium-telluride focal plane, modified by
removing thermal background-suppressing
filters. That allows the system to image
across the entire biologically important
2- to 9.7-m range. Those wavelengths are
sensitive to chemical bonds and so high-
light the dynamic chemistry of a sample.
The researchers have started to use the
setup to study cancer biopsy specimens,
with the hope that the chemical maps thus
produced will allow rapid differentiation
of diseased from healthy tissue.
Aside from possible diagnostic applica-
tions, Phillips noted that other uses will
include tracking the way chemicals move
around in a cell. Of particular interest will
be how cells respond to external triggers,
such as necrosis factors and drugs.
Recent source advances also promise
to make ultrafast imaging a reality at even
longer wavelengths, said Daniel Mittleman,
a professor of electrical and computer engi-
neering at Rice University in Houston.
He is involved in terahertz imaging, which
covers wavelengths from 100 m to 1 mm.
Ironically, although femtosecond lasers
have long been a preferred method for
generating and detecting terahertz radia-
tion, the field has not employed ultrafast
imaging. In fact, there has been virtually
no time-resolved imaging at all, Mittle -
man said.
The issue has been a lack of high-inten-
sity ultrafast terahertz pulses. The situation
has changed in the past year or so, and
Mittleman expects that terahertz ultrafast
imaging is on the horizon. When it does
arrive, the long wavelengths will allow the
tracking of phonons, the quantized vibra-
tions found in a crystal lattice, or the fold-
ing of a protein.
However, those long wavelengths also
pose a challenge. Theyre much bigger
than a cell or other items of interest, which
renders conventional imaging impossible.
Researchers are working to overcome this
limitation, turning to near-field imaging and
other techniques to resolve small objects.
Theyve had some success, and that
could bode well for future ultrafast tera-
hertz imaging. As Mittleman said, People
have been able to image hundred-nanome-
ter objects with terahertz radiation that is
hundreds of microns in wavelength.
hank.hogan@photonics.com
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Fluorescent-labeled BPAE cells, captured with a Fairchild Imaging SciMOS camera.
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Feetures
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511_CookeCorp_Pg44.qxd:Layout 1 4/20/11 11:03 AM Page 44
Preserving Moores Law
Pushes Lithography to its Limits
Optical lithography equipment
It is time to consider some of the other
optical elements in a lithographic system.
In the quest to create smaller chips, manu-
facturers have developed phase shift
masks, improved the chemistry of photo-
resists and fabricated lenses with very
high numerical apertures (NAs) and near-
diffraction-limited performance.
The technique employed by most mod-
ern optical lithography equipment is
known as projec-
tion printing. In
the setup, laser
light shines
through a mask,
which contains
the pattern to be
imaged onto the
wafer. But the
large gap be-
tween the mask
and the wafer re-
sults in diffrac-
tion, effectively
spreading out the
laser light.
A well-de-
signed objective
lens is used to
gather the dif-
fracted light from
the mask before
it is projected onto the wafer, whereby the
ability of the lens to collect diffracted light
is measured by its NA.
Although using a lens with a higher NA
results in better resolution of the image,
there is a price: As the NA increases, the
depth of focus decreases. Poor depth of
focus could cause some points of the
wafer to be out of focus; increased NA
also requires the wafer to be positioned
extremely precisely.
Optical lithography is the art of print-
ing as close to the Rayleigh limit as possi-
ble while maintaining a high level of uni-
formity and stability for high-volume
manufacturing. Maintaining fidelity of
the pattern to be printed is also extremely
difficult, and it deteriorates the closer one
prints to the Rayleigh limit, said Sam
Sivakumar, Intel fellow and director of the
lithography technology and manufacturing
group there.
One of the ways Intel tackled the
dilemma involved the introduction of
phase shift masks, which began with its
45-nm node to increase the effective con-
trast. Intel pioneered
the use of alternating
phase shift masks
(starting at 90 nm)
and attenuating phase
shift masks (starting
at 130 nm). The com-
pany also introduced
extensive optical tai-
loring of substrate
materials to deliver
specific optical per-
formance in aid of
the patterning
needed.
Todays lithogra-
phy process is a
highly optimized and
fine-tuned mixture of
techniques to enable
Moores Law scal-
ing, Sivakumar said.
Phase shift masks have become ubiqui-
tous. Source optimization has become
highly sophisticated with the advent
of diffractive optical element sources.
Finally, photoresist chemistry has become
increasingly sophisticated, enabling much
higher resolution and fidelity.
Another trick of the trade makes use of
the refraction caused by water. The
process, known as immersion lithography,
is used by the industry today for state-of-
the-art processes. It effectively reduces
the wavelength by about 30 percent. Intel
started using this technique at 32 nm, and
others followed at 45 nm.
A scanning electron micrograph image of a 56-nm
pitch pattern in resist, exposed on an EUV Alpha
Demo Tool using a Globalfoundries mask.
C
r
e
d
i
t
:

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a
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y

L
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v
i
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o
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,

G
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a
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f
o
u
n
d
r
i
e
s
.
T
he race is on to develop the next
technology that will enable manu-
facturers to continue scaling down
their chip sizes. Will optics provide
the answer everyone is looking for?
The brisk march of optical lithography
has set the pace for the shrinking size
of semiconductor devices and integrated
circuits (ICs) that we see today. Optical
lithography the technology of pattern-
ing enables intricate circuits to be cre-
ated in wafers at dimensions smaller than
the light wavelength used in the process.
As ever shorter wavelength sources are
developed, the resolution of patterning
continues to improve, and circuit features
can shrink. But some believe this progress
is starting to slow, threatening the perpetu-
ation of Moores Law.
Moores Law was formulated by the co-
founder of Intel, Gordon Moore, in 1965,
when he predicted that the number of tran-
sistors that can be placed on an IC would
double every year. He later revised this to
approximately every two years.
Keeping up with Moores Law over the
past four decades has seen lithography
wavelengths drop from the 436 and
365 nm produced by mercury arc lamps
to 248 nm by the krypton fluoride excimer
laser. In 1998, a group at MITs Lincoln
Laboratory developed a 193-nm source
with the argon fluoride laser, which is
used to produce todays 45- and 32-nm
IC technologies.
Despite the trend in reducing exposure
wavelengths, todays aggressive feature
sizes are still falling farther and farther
below the available exposure sources,
complicating the imaging challenges.
But the biggest question in the field
today is this: What imaging method will
be used to pattern features that are 22 nm
and below? Will shorter wavelengths
such as the long-awaited extreme-ultra-
violet (EUV) be the answer, or can
Moores Law be extended by other
means?
BY MARIE FREEBODY, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
511_Lithography Feat.qxd:Layout 1 4/19/11 3:56 PM Page 45
Progression, but not at any price
But Moores Law isnt just about get-
ting more transistors on each chip; its also
about bringing down the cost of transis-
tors. Optical lithography equipment has so
far met industry demands, but to preserve
the law, a new advance is needed soon.
EUV lithography has been the much
anticipated solution; however, its develop-
ment has proved to be far from smooth,
causing some in the industry to lose faith.
Developing a source in this regime that is
powerful, robust and stable enough for a
modern semiconductor fab is a huge chal-
lenge, and there has been disappoint-
ment over its progress.
According to Dr. Michael
Fritze, director of Disruptive
Electronics at the Univer-
sity of Southern California
Information Sciences
Institute in Marina del
Rey, a process known as
double patterning is now
being considered as a
candidate for feature
sizes below 32 nm. The
technique is a compli-
cated and expensive
method of doubling up the
layers of printing, but Fritze
believes that this will be the
most likely solution until EUV is finally
ready.
The problem with both EUV and double
patterning lithography solutions is the
cost, and the semiconductor industry
has not been keen to implement the tech-
niques. For most fabrication facilities, it
takes billions of dollars to create the fab
and then substantial amounts of money to
maintain the capability.
This is where DARPA believes it can fit
in with its three-year GRATE (Gratings of
Optical lithography enables Intel to build state-of-the art chips with feature sizes as small as 32 nm and below.
As lithography systems progress, integrated circuits can be made with more performance and more features,
better power efficiency and lower cost per transistor. Images courtesy of Intel Corp.
Lithography
Despite its problems, EUV lithography
is still being pursued and heavily invested
in by many R&D departments, including
Globalfoundries of Milpitas, Calif., which
was the first company to produce working
memory cells using EUV lithography.
We were leaders in the initial develop-
ment phases of EUV, and we plan to ex-
tend this leadership position as the tech-
nology approaches maturity, including
being one of the first customers for a
production-level EUV tool, said Harry
Levinson, senior fellow and manager of
strategic lithography technology there.
Lithography systems maker ASML of
Veldhoven, the Netherlands, continues to
ship its preproduction EUV machine,
NXE:3100, with the aim of refining the
technology in time for high-volume chip
production starting in 2013.
Meanwhile, Intel is hedging its bets,
working on a variety of techniques to ex-
tend 193-nm lithography and to develop
EUV lithography.
marie.freebody@photonics.com
Regular Arrays and Trim Exposures) pro-
gram, which kicked off at the end of 2010.
The goal of GRATE is to develop method-
ologies enabling simplified circuit designs
using high-resolution grating patterns that
can be fabricated using either mask-based
or maskless interference lithography.
Previously headed up by Fritze while
he was program manager at DARPA, the
program is now led by Dr. Carl McCants,
who explained that the vision is to make
low-volume fabrication at advanced nodes
affordable for the US Department of
Defense (DoD).
If it becomes cost-ineffective to imple-
ment in a given technology, people will
stop, McCants said. Large companies can
absorb the cost of development, but the
DoD is looking for advanced technology
access for low-volume manufacturing.
While this program is set to benefit
low-volume fabrication, specifically of
custom silicon-based application-specific
integrated circuits, high-volume manufac-
turers must look elsewhere.
Lithography
Expert Q&A:
Trends in Laser Alignment
BY LAURA S. MARSHALL
MANAGING EDITOR
L
aser alignment affords manufacturers
great precision and efficiency in as-
sessment of their equipment, allowing
them to take minute measurements and
correct tiny errors that otherwise could
mean big problems down the line, includ-
ing materials wasted or time lost.
To get a picture of current activity in
laser alignment, Photonics Spectra turned
to experts from two companies in the thick
of things: Opto-Alignment Technology
Inc. in Indian Trail, N.C., and Pinpoint
Laser Systems Inc. in Peabody, Mass.
Steve Bohuczky is the executive direc-
tor of business development for Opto-
Alignment Technology, also known as
OAT. Opto-Alignment produces alignment
and assembly equipment for ultraprecision
and precision optical systems. It special-
izes in narrow confocal laser reflection-
based measurements of lens centration and
lens tilt to submicron level, Bohuczky
said. One new OAT product is the Laser
Alignment Station (LAS), which enables
Opto-Alignment assembly cleanroom
with alignment stations.
Courtesy of Opto-Alignment.
511_Laser Alignment Feat.qxd:Layout 1 4/19/11 3:55 PM Page 48
measurement and correction of even a
tiny 2-arc-second tilt. Additional modules
also allow it to measure lens thickness and
air space in lens systems.
Mory Creighton is the general manager
at Pinpoint Laser Systems. Pinpoint pro-
vides laser measuring and machinery
alignment equipment for manufacturing.
The company is introducing two laser re-
ceivers based on customer feedback, the
4D Microgage and the Microgage 2D
Transparent. These will allow precision
measurements on machine tools and as-
sembly equipment.
Q: What do you see as the next big
thing in laser alignment in general?
Are you seeing any new and exciting
laser alignment advances coming
out of R&D and/or university labs?
Creighton: Fixturing, software and manu-
facturers taking on their own alignment.
As machinery configurations change,
the fixturing for alignment systems and
techniques needs to change as well. Rails
and slides become longer, CNC [computer
numerical control] machine tools have dif-
ferent work enclosures driven by safety,
and working considerations and alignment
fixturing has to adapt to these changing
needs. Many of our customers come to us
looking for adapters and new fixtures for
their alignment systems as they take on
new tasks that they were not considering
two or three years ago but that have be-
come important now.
Software what do the measuring and
alignment numbers mean and how do they
relate to corrective action taken on the
production line? Software that allows peo-
ple to quickly see the alignment condition
of their production machinery is a great
asset in reducing their downtime and pro-
ducing better finished products.
We see a steady trend in manufacturers
bringing their alignment capabilities inside
their organization. Companies need to re-
main competitive in the global environ-
ment thinner materials, faster throughput
and more complex manufacturing
processes require precise machinery oper-
ation. For years, there has been a strong
reliance on outside, third-party alignment
vendors, and these services have become
very costly, and often there are long wait-
ing periods in scheduling, which has a sig-
nificant manufacturing impact on machin-
ery downtime, rising production costs and
scheduling.
Our observations show that produc-
tion workers and plant engineers are
very familiar with their own production
equipment and given a good, precise
measuring and alignment tool they do
a much better job in maintaining align-
ment on their production equipment, re-
ducing downtime and ultimately improv-
ing their own manufacturing profits.
The development of new laser
technology, detectors and optics moves
steadily along in both industrial R&D
as well as government and university
research settings. Pinpoint is actively in-
volved with this process as well and reg-
ularly introducing new products such as
the Microgage 4 Axis Receiver and the
2D Transparent Receiver both unique
products driven by requests from
our large customer base. Methods to
apply alignment data and findings to
automated equipment is a growing area,
particularly as CNC machinery runs
faster and faster under automated
control, and manufacturing tolerances
become tighter.
Bohuczky: There are too many R&D
projects out there with very promising
results. I read about around-the-corner
3-D imaging of objects that are out of the
straight line of sight, by measuring the
time of multiple reflections, almost like
laser echo. OAT is preparing to build
mid- and long-IR LAS devices as soon
as a specific need and budget are there.
One of Opto-Alignments newer products is the Laser Alignment Station. Courtesy of Opto-Alignment.
Q: Which application areas would you
say are currently thriving and why?
Creighton: We see a lot of growth and
business activity in the continuous process
side of the manufacturing industry. For ex-
ample, paper mills, converting lines, steel
and metal production, electronic compo-
nent manufacturing and others cannot af-
ford unexpected downtime. Competition
is tight, and profit margins are small and,
consequently, manufacturing planning and
maintenance need to be right on track. We
are seeing a lot of customer needs in this
area now, particularly for equipment that
supports preventive maintenance.
New technology manufacturing is also
a driving force in our industry. Helicop-
ters, aircraft, ships and automobiles are
made out of new materials, such as ad-
vanced composites that influence the
manufacturing and assembly process.
In the past, large dedicated tooling was
created for single product fabrication and
assembly. Over the past five to 10 years,
the move has been toward flexible tool-
ing, and measuring and alignment
equipment that can adapt to many
different products being produced. We
see strong growth potential for companies
that can work in this arena.
Bohuczky: I noticed that there is a fast
growing arsenal of medical laser instru-
ments on the market, and I think more will
be widely available to the noncash patient
base soon. Obviously, the aging popula-
tion in the Western world is a major
driver. Some of the scientific applications
are a little harder to pinpoint, partly be-
cause there are too many.
As far as military applications, I hope
that the global powers will or already have
agreed not to integrate laser-based small
arms into their military arsenals. Eventu-
ally, these would become available to
anyone and establish an invisible, unde-
tectable threat.
Q: How would you say the market
has been in the past few years
for laser alignment?
Bohuczky: Laser alignment and measure-
ment is now in every corner of technology
and industry. The expansion was fast and
logical, and it will continue.
Creighton: The economic climate over
the past couple of years has been challeng-
ing, particularly for manufacturing indus-
tries. Reductions in production activity,
Laser alignment offers a quick, efficient way for manufacturing companies to run preventive mainte-
nance checks and make sure that equipment is properly set up. Courtesy of Pinpoint Laser Systems.
Checking the angular orientation and deflection of the arm on an inspection robot.
Courtesy of Pinpoint Laser Systems.
Laser Alignment
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cost-cutting measures and turnover in the
workforce have influenced the market for
all machinery alignment, including laser
alignment equipment.
However, we have recently seen a sig-
nificant increase in manufacturing activity
in certain industrial sectors and an aggres-
sive approach to bringing machinery back
on line and performing the needed align-
ments to keep this equipment running
smoothly and efficiently. Our business
activity is increasing steadily, and we
hope that this progress will continue.
Q: Where do you think the market
for laser alignment is going?
Bohuczky: Measuring the presence and
distance of objects relating to safety in
industry and everyday life will be one of
the most important new markets.
Creighton: One trend, mentioned earlier,
is the movement toward companies taking
care of their own machinery and equip-
ment alignment. A lot of customers are
replacing traditional methods with laser
alignment products. This is often seen now
as a necessity rather than a luxury. The
measuring and alignment products avail-
able today have become so easy to learn
and use that manufacturing companies are
equipping their workforce with these
tools. Their motivation is to reduce outside
alignment costs and delays and to better
tap into the knowledge and expertise of
their own workforce.
Stronger focus on preventive mainte-
nance is pulling the laser alignment mar-
ket in new directions. Manufacturing is
embracing preventive maintenance with
new techniques, data and scheduling
tools, and other resources in an effort
to improve profitability. Here at Pinpoint,
we have seen a stronger focus on manu-
facturers using precision equipment to
take quick snapshots of their machinery
alignment and condition monitoring for
more organized equipment maintenance
and improvements. Tight manufacturing
schedules, JIT [just in time] production
and growing foreign competition leave
little room for unexpected production
downtime events.
A slow and steady movement away
from optical alignment scopes toward
laser equipment that is easier to use, more
precise and repeatable from user to user.
As seasoned manufacturing people leave
the workforce, the knowledge base for
using optical alignment equipment is leav-
ing with them. Employees, more than
ever, move from job to job, and the laser
alignment equipment available on the
market today is easier and faster to learn,
while at the same time it improves the
speed and precision for routine and com-
plex machinery alignment.
Q: What are the biggest challenges
to new advances in laser alignment?
Bohuczky: One of the challenges is
increasing sensor resolution to increase
measurement accuracy.
Creighton: The growing variety of man-
ufacturing needs and production systems
poses a challenge for manufacturers of
machinery alignment equipment. Cus-
tomers want turnkey products that are
right out of the case, ready to go on their
specific production equipment. Align-
ment needs for manufacturing companies
are becoming more demanding and di-
verse. Companies that sell standard
alignment products and are unwilling
to deviate from their particular product
offerings are facing pressure from their
customers for new alignment needs and
opportunities. We have had strong suc-
cess over the years working with individ-
ual customers, understanding their partic-
ular needs and adapting products to meet
these needs and requirements.
Workforce turnover and short-term
thinking. As employees change their jobs
and roles within industry, manufacturing
companies often feel the pressure of los-
ing manufacturing continuity and their
long-term perspective. New people are
trying to learn new jobs, and while on this
learning curve, it is easy to lose sight of
long-term objectives and planning. We
sometimes see that, when this long-term
planning and viewpoint are set aside, pro-
duction efficiency suffers through more
downtime events and slower recovery
from addressing unexpected problems.
The adage Rome was not built in a day
holds very true for manufacturing knowl-
edge and technology.
The complexity of an efficient and
profitable manufacturing operation can
make it difficult to change people,
processes, techniques and equipment on a
rapid basis and still remain efficient and
profitable. Better production tools, such as
laser alignment equipment, are a great
asset for the manufacturing industry, but
the long-term thinking and planning need
to be in place in addition to the ability to
react and fix equipment rapidly.
laura.marshall@photonics.com
Laser Alignment
Set to Permeate the
Next Generation of Displays
A
veritable explosion of display-cen-
tric devices new cell phones,
handheld games, tablet computers
and televisions in a multitude of sizes and
dimensionality (2-D, 3-D n-D!) is com-
ing. Spurred on by eco logically minded
consumers and those wanting long lives
from their batteries manufacturers are
looking to replace power-hungry displays
with less ravenous new tech nologies.
Now, displays enhanced by quantum dots
are getting an opportunity to grab their
share of the limelight.
Not long ago, quantum dots were a
rarely seen and very expensive means of
enhancing biological imaging. A painstak-
ing blending of the right semiconducting
materials resulted in a small handful of
very bright, regularly emitting particles
that could help track cell components or
chemicals under the microscope. After a
few years of experimentation and develop-
ment, quantum dot costs have come down
enough that their use is now growing.
Cost was a hurdle, but no one would be
trying to incorporate them into display
technology if it werent for the benefits.
Quantum dots, when excited by electrons
or photons, emit bright, steady light at a
narrow wavelength band and do so while
drawing very little power. In comparison,
organic LEDs are even brighter and more
efficient, but more expensive than quan-
tum dot-based displays project to be,
especially at large sizes. Quantum dot
displays promise to have longer lifetimes
as well.
Visionaries create future
One of the first private companies to
dive into the field of quantum dots was
Watertown, Mass.-based QD Vision Inc.
Over the past several years, the company
has been developing quantum dot tech-
nologies for use in novel low-power-con-
sumption displays. Achievements in this
area resulted late last year in an agreement
to help LG Display of Seoul, South Korea,
create direct-view active-matrix displays
in which quantum dots will help improve
color brightness and saturation as well as
energy usage.
High-end LCD displays with integrated
quantum dots will deliver a 100 percent
color gamut (versus the more typical
70 percent available today), while main-
taining lifetime, efficiency and other de-
sired specifications of LCDs, said Seth
Coe-Sullivan, co-founder and chief tech-
nology officer of QD Vision (See Q&A
on page 58).
It is a little too early to put a specifica-
tion on quantum dot LED when it
launches, but I expect the value proposi-
tion will be similar, he said. The ultimate
goal is to blow competing technologies
away in terms of color, make a marked
improvement in power consumption and
meet or exceed every other spec.
In January, QD Vision revealed that it
had demonstrated a quantum dot-based ac-
tive matrix display that has an array of
800 600 pixels on a 15.6-mm-diagonal
screen. Designed under contract for the
US Army, the tiny display will be
a component of video headsets, helmet-
mounted devices and other instruments
where the display will be mounted near
the eye. The demonstration model was an
amber monochrome version, but the com-
pany also is developing a full-color
version.
A month later, in February, Samsung
Electronics Advanced Institute of
Technology in Yongin, South Korea,
Quantum Dots
BY LYNN SAVAGE, FEATURES EDITOR
Using quantum dots (QDs) in conjunction with LCDs produces more favorable color than unenhanced
white LEDs, while using about one-third less energy. BLU = backlight unit. Courtesy of QD Vision.
511_Display Feat.qxd:Layout 1 4/19/11 3:54 PM Page 54
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announced that it had developed a large-
area full-color display that incorporates
quantum dots. The display measures 4 in.
diagonally and comprises a 320 240-
pixel array.
In a paper published in the Feb. 20,
2011, issue of Nature Photonics, Tae-Ho
Kim and his colleagues first note that,
although the availability of quantum dots
no longer is an issue, efficiently depositing
them onto a glass or plastic substrate has
remained problematic.
A new spin on deposition
Typically, quantum dots of various sizes
and thus colors are sprayed onto the
waiting surface in a process known as spin
coating. Its a good technique for putting a
lot of particles down fast and speed is an
important factor for keeping product costs
down at the factory. Unfortunately, spin
coating is a random deposition technique,
leading to cross-contamination of red,
green and blue particles, to reduction of
their quantum efficiencies, and to overall
degradation of the resulting images, espe-
cially at larger display sizes.
To reduce these problems, more regular
distribution is required, leading Kims
group to develop a transfer process quite
like using an ink stamp.
First, a substrate made of silicon, glass
or other material is coated with a mono-
layer of ODTS (octadecyltrichlorosilane)
and then with a layer of one color of quan-
tum dot. This donor substrate is analo-
gous to an ink pad; the ODTS facilitates
quick removal of the quantum dot ink.
Next, a stamp made of PDMS (poly-
dimethylsiloxane), molded with raised
structures conforming to the desired final
pattern, is brought into contact with the
Researchers at Samsung have developed the largest QD-based
display yet, a 4-in.-diagonal screen with 320 240 pixels.
Courtesy of Samsung Electronics.
Quantum Dots
quantum dots on the donor substrate, gen-
tly lifting them away. Separate PDMS
stamps then deliver the red, green and
blue quantum dots to the waiting receptor
substrate. The stamp delivers each set of
quantum dots with even pressure onto the
receptor, leaving the particles to rearrange
themselves into a densely packed layer,
according to the researchers.
Kim and his colleagues reported that
their transfer process resulted in an all-red
quantum dot LED that was 71 percent
more power efficient than a spin-coated
device. It also exhibited higher maximum
brightness and luminous efficiency, and
had fewer cracks after cross-linking and
lower current leakage.
Besides a rigid silicon substrate, the
team demonstrated that the transfer tech-
nique could deliver a well-structured array
of quantum dots onto a flexible substrate
composed of indium tin oxide and poly-
ethylene naphthalate.
Creating QDs in place
In Boulder, Colo., Verun B. Verma isnt
really thinking about displays, but he does
think a lot about quantum dots. A National
Research Council postdoc working at the
Using electron-beam lithography and wet etching techniques, scientists at NIST
carve quantum dots directly out of a semiconductor substrate.
Courtesy of Verun B. Verma, NIST.
Quantum Dots
National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology (NIST), Verma is developing quan-
tum dots for use in edge-emitting lasers
and as single-photon emitters. But in a
pair of recently published papers, he and
his colleagues have described a new
method of creating quantum dots exactly
where they are needed a technique that
may simplify display manufacturing.
Typically, quantum dots such as the
ones used in industry today are grown in a
bottom-up approach in which the core and
shell materials are combined to form crys-
tals within a solution. This process can be
fast enough for production volumes, but it
results in particles of varying shapes and
sizes, necessitating a sorting step.
Verma and his colleagues at NIST and
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign looked at the problem a little
differently from the top down.
Using a combination of electron-beam
lithography and wet etching, they carve
quantum dots from layers of semiconduc-
tor material. The result is a finely aligned
array of quantum dots set at a pitch of 500
nm to 5 m. They have formed quantum
dots with diameters ranging from about 10
to 80 nm.
Being able to change the size and pitch
of these quantum dots might be useful for
displays because the emission wavelength
produced by the particles is tunable by
size, Verma said. With the etching tech-
nique, this can be done in a deterministic
way, with different regions of the same
semiconductor chip producing different
colors of light.
Currently, the NIST researchers are
working with infrared outputs, but Verma
said that visible light might be possible.
Vermas team reported its findings in
the December 2010 issue of IEEE Journal
of Quantum Electronics and in the Feb.
28, 2011, issue of Optics Express.
lynn.savage@photonics.com
Interview with Seth Coe-Sullivan, QD Vision Inc.
What are the latest advances in
quantum dot displays?
Id say that weve been pleasantly
surprised at the markets reaction to
quantum dot display demonstrators
that weve made, from handhelds to
tablets to TVs which, if anything, has
accelerated our anticipated pace of
product adoption. This is for quantum
dots as down-converters in LED-based
LCD backlight units.
What are the short- and long-term
goals for QD display technology in
general and at QD Vision in particular?
We want to put QDs as down-converters
into displays in 2012. The quantum dot
LED (QLED) electroluminescent displays
will follow a couple of years after that,
and I think that having QDs in display
applications already will be a big credibil-
ity boost to the technology.
Are deposition techniques a hurdle,
something to refine, or is it solved?
I wouldnt call it solved. We have been
getting very nice results with our patented
contact printing method, and we believe
this will scale well to large areas. How-
ever, we have yet to demonstrate it at
sizes truly relevant for TV manufacturing,
so that remains a milestone.
Is QD-as-LED the only path to
success?
No, we believe that the QDs in lighting
applications, and QDs in display as appli-
cations, both in simple down-conversion
mode, can be an independent path to
success for the company and the tech-
nology. QLED still has greater promise
for power efficiency and design freedom.
A couple of years ago, quantum
dot-based displays were expected to
reach efficiency levels 10 times that
of LCDs. Has that happened?
Id say 10 LCD is still within reach.
Weve pushed the efficiency of our
devices up to the point that they are
competitive with all other light-emitting
technologies, but we still feel that we
can reach even higher for example,
trying to reach that 10 milestone.
What stability or lifetime issues
remain? Do you expect further
tweaking of core/shell materials?
Yes, further refinement of core/shell
materials will continue and is key to our
progress in stability and lifetime. In
down-conversion applications, lifetime
is already sufficient, even for solid-state
lighting specifications, but more
improvement is necessary for QLED
to be commercial.
What do you expect the market
for quantum dot displays to be
this year and beyond?
This year it will be quite small, but I
expect that, in 2012, there will be multiple
product launches, with explosive growth
continuing in 2013.
Quantum Dots
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511LightMattersAd_PG59.qxd:Layout 1 4/20/11 1:18 PM Page 59
healthy company over time should do,
Brimrose has weaned itself to the point
where 80 percent of its revenues now
come from commercial and other non-
SBIR funding sources.
Broad range of applications
Brimroses near-IR acousto-optic tun-
able filters came out of SBIRs, but the
company recognized that the technologys
ability to precisely and instantaneously
characterize the ingredients in a substance
would have enormous consequences in
various fields, from pharmaceuticals to
agriculture and more. This is a good
replacement for standard spectroscopy,
where they have mechanical grating,
Using SBIRs
as a Platform for Success
P
erseverance is the most important
factor in garnering a Small Business
Innovation Research (SBIR) award,
according to Brimrose Corp.s founder
and CEO. And he should know.
In 1984, Dr. Ron Rosemeier found
himself at the end of his postdoc with the
University of Maryland and nothing to
show for it. His SBIR applications had
been rejected 20 times. He had maxed
out his credit cards, piling up $100,000 in
debt. He had been unemployed for three
months. The dream of this self-described
technology geek to start his own photonics
company appeared to be over before it
had begun.
But then his willingness to stick it out
began paying dividends: He and the little
company he had started, Baltimore-based
Brimrose Corp., scored four SBIRs in six
months. Three of those went on to become
Phase II SBIRs, a conversion percentage
much higher than the norm. From less
BY C. DAVID CHAFFEE
CONTRIBUTOR
A Baltimore company shares lessons learned
in growing its business with help from
Small Business Innovation Research funding.
than zero, he now had $2 million in the
bank. And he never looked back.
The power of the SBIR had taken
Brimrose from early near-bankruptcy to,
27 years later, employing 60 full-time
employees and supplying staple products
for the largest pharmaceutical companies
in the world, including AstraZeneca and
Bristol-Myers Squibb. A small company,
it now finds itself competing with huge
conglomerates Foss and Bruker.
In all, Brimrose has been granted 65
Phase I and 28 Phase II SBIR awards to-
taling more than $60 million. Yet Rose-
meier is confident enough to say that if
the SBIR program went away tomorrow,
Brimrose would be fine. In fact, as any
Brimrose Corp. founder and CEO Ron Rosemeier
would be the first to say that SBIRs have been
critical to the companys success. Images courtesy
of Brimrose Corp.
One of Brimroses most
successful deliverables is
its infrared acousto-optic
tunable filter.
511Brimrose.qxd:Layout 1 4/19/11 3:54 PM Page 60
Lessons learned
Rosemeier said. The acousto-optic tun-
able filter was the perfect device to be
able to introduce all of these mechanical
technologies in optical spectroscopy.
And now pharmaceutical companies
can measure elements to the parts-per-tril-
lion level. Agriculturalists can measure the
amount of oil in a seed of corn. Tobacco
companies can measure nicotine, tar or
whatever they want almost instanta-
neously. The Munich Airport uses the
devices to analyze jet fuel. Acousto-optic
tunable filters have been selected for use
on Mars by NASA to measure the poten-
tial for water content in soil and rocks.
They are used in university labs and geo-
logical labs. They are used by robots in
toxic environments.
Another winning characteristic of suc-
cessful SBIR bidders is the ability to learn
from mistakes. Dr. Sudhir Trivedi, who di-
rects R&D, says the company learns from
the constructive criticism provided after
every unsuccessful effort. After every
rejection, you fine-tune your proposal
you learn from your mistakes, he said.
Most recently, the company has linked
up with Rutgers University to win an STTR
to study the potential applications of cou-
pling acousto-optics with diffraction grat-
ings. It is an effort to combine the powers
of acousto-optics and electro-optics.
The critical relationship between SBIRs
and Brimrose has not escaped the attention
of federal policy makers. The US Con-
gress has sought Rosemeiers advice as
it tries to make SBIR relevant to the 21st
century. Becoming the voice of the SBIR
Rosemeier and Sudhir Trivedi, director of research,
evaluate just-manufactured crystals with the help
of another staff member.
The Brimrose executive team, including CEO Ron
Rosemeier, chief technology officer Jolanta Soos,
and director of research Sudhir Trivedi, evaluate
an SBIR with other staff.
Rosemeier and the concept-to-utilization team evaluate a new product idea. The team was designed
to take concepts used for SBIRs and translate them into workable commercial products.
A
long the way, Rosemeier and
his colleagues at Brimrose have
learned some tricks for getting SBIRs
as well as the accompanying Small
Business Technology Transfer (STTR)
awards and for converting Phase I
SBIRs to Phase IIs.
There is, of course, the perseverance
that Rosemeier puts first. I wanted
this to be an old-fashioned company,
not supported by venture capital,
he said. He also was adamant that his
company be a technology company.
This thinking led inevitably to the
pursuit of SBIRs, allowing him to
receive funds and develop technology
at the same time.
Rosemeier has designed his company
around innovation the I in
SBIR. The company has various
units: production, software, mechan-
ical and so on, all ready to take a
concept and turn it into something
tangible.
He learned this model during his PhD
days at Johns Hopkins University,
where he saw the workings of profes-
sor Robert Greens materials science
division. He had a machine shop; he
had mechanical guys; he had electri-
cal guys. I basically built Brimrose
on the same model, Rosemeier said.
Collaboration also is a critical
element of the companys success,
particularly as it takes ideas and
converts them into tangible products.
Brimroses concept-to-utilization
team, which has representatives from
all elements of the company, includ-
ing manufacturing, software and
mechanical engineering, meets
weekly to guide projects.
Many SBIRs have nothing to show
but paper at the end of Phase I, but
Rosemeier believes it is vital that at
the end of Phase I we have deliver-
ables we actually build hardware.
This philosophy has had dividends
with large federal contractors. They
see it, and they want a few, he said.
When they want more than a few,
we know we are on to something.
Rosemeier recognizes that a number
of these federally funded products
have to lead to products that can sur-
vive on their own in the commercial
world. The company also has had
success introducing its products to
customers at trade shows such as
CLEO and SPIE Photonics West.
1
2
3
4
5
awardee, Rosemeier seeks to have more businesspeople on
the federal teams and wants to see the same standards used for
each of the 11 agencies that implement them. He also advocates
for longer Phase I and Phase II time periods to make for better
responses.
SBIRs were not made so that companies would become
SBIR mills, existing solely on that one source of funding.
In fact, companies that choose that route generally end up
dying out quickly or being sold when they cannot make the
predictable stream of payroll with the at times unpredictable
SBIR awards. One company had terrific optical cryptography
technology but could not transfer it to commercial product
and was purchased by a larger company that only does federal
contracts.
Companies that find ways to take the technologies developed
from SBIRs and make them into commercial products are the
companies that become and remain viable.
Meet the author
C. David Chaffee is a writer based in Ellicott City, Md., and
is the former Washington editor of Photonics Spectra; e-mail:
davidchaffee@verizon.net.
F
or more information on the US governments Small
Business Innovation Research program and Small Business
Technology Transfer program, visit http://www.sbir.gov/
federal_links.htm.
About SBIRs
s
S EMI CONDUCTOR
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PHOTOVOLTAI C
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MEMS
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PRI NTED/ F L EXI BL E EL ECTRONI CS
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For the complete schedule of 2011 SEMI Expositions, visit
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CALL FOR ENTRIES
The Prism Awards for
Photonics Innovation
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competition that
recognizes cutting-edge
products that break from
conventional ideas, solve
problems and improve life
through photonics.
Deadline for entries is
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Win industrywide recognition
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in January 2012.
The 2011 Photonics Prism Awards
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Optics and Optical Components
Scientific Lasers
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Industrial Lasers
Detectors, Sensing, Imaging
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2011PrismAwards_Call4Entries_PG64.qxd:Layout 1 4/21/11 11:36 AM Page 64
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areas in any lab without building walls. We have more than 30 years of
experience, and our curtains are installed in colleges and universities, and
in medical, industrial and government laboratories coast to coast.
Visit our website for installation list, photos and specifications.
(800) 422-0101
sales@plsys.net
www.plsys.net
FL and SemiChill Recirculating Coolers
Julabos recirculating cooler FL and SemiChill product series offer 27 models
with cooling capacities from 300 W to 20 kW. Customize a SemiChill model to
your application with cooling to 20 C, heating capacities to 12 kW (up to
130 C), control electronics, pump and filtration options. Contact Julabo today
to choose the unit for your laser/photonics application.
(800) 458-5226
info@julabo.com
www.julabo.com
New Nanosecond Time-Resolved ICCD Cameras
Andor announces the launch of its new iStar platform for nanosecond
time-resolved spectroscopy and imaging. The new iStar provides a unique
combination of USB 2.0 interface, high spectral or imaging rates greater than
3400 fps or 15 full fps, respectively, ultrafast gating speeds <2 ns and high
sensitivity through 40 C TE cooling and high-QE UV-VIS-NIR photocathodes
with sustained gating rates up to 500 kHz. Complemented by the latest
generation of ultralow-jitter, fully software controlled digital delay generator,
the USB platform versatility serves a wide scope of applications from LIBS
to combustion/PLIF studies and advanced plasma research, and allows
comprehensive setups integration thanks to a triple trigger output with
picosecond parametring accuracy.
+44 28 9023 7126
marketing@andor.com
www.andor.com/istar
511_Spotlight.qxd:Layout 1 4/19/11 3:57 PM Page 65
Spatial Light Modulators for Ultrafast Pulse Shaping
New, smaller SLM-128 enclosure with the same mask size. CRi developed
the modern liquid crystal linear-array SLM and is the exclusive provider
of technology for bonded masks providing simultaneous phase and
amplitude control. 128- and 640-pixel masks available in VIS or NIR
ranges. Transmissive or reflective.
(774) 278-2820
ross.nakatsuji@caliperls.com
www.cri-inc.com/slm
High-Resolution Spectrum Analyzer for IR Lasers
The 721B-MIR laser spectrum analyzer provides the most complete spectral
characterization of lasers that operate at mid-infrared wavelengths. Absolute
wavelength is measured to an accuracy of 1 part per million, and spectral
properties are determined to a resolution as high as 2 GHz. Now, researchers
working with quantum cascade lasers for high-resolution spectroscopy,
photochemistry or optical sensing applications can achieve more meaningful
experimental results with accurate spectral information.
(585) 924-2620
info@bristol-inst.com
www.bristol-inst.com
Hybrid LaserTable-Base
Vibration Cancellation
The latest addition to TMCs STACIS
iX product line is the LaserTable-Base
hybrid piezoelectric/air active vibration cancellation system for optical tables.

It combines TMCs patented STACIS technology and air into one integrated
system to cancel vibration at both very low and high frequencies. The result
is unprecedented levels of vibration isolation for the most sensitive research
on the most severe floors.
(800) 542-9725
sales@techmfg.com
www.techmfg.com
Phase-Locked Loop Optical Chopper
The C-995 phase-locked loop optical chopper provides crystal controlled
chopping rates of 4 Hz to 5 kHz using only one blade. The use of direct
digital synthesis permits the rate to be set to a precision of 0.001 Hz and
provides quartz crystal stability. Frequency settings may be made via front
panel controls, its bidirectional RS-232 port, or it may be phase-locked to a
user-supplied external clock. Both enclosed and open style chopper heads
are available.
(315) 736-3642
dbiron@terahertz
technologies.com
www.terahertz
technologies.com
See more new products at Photonics.com
Its easy to find the latest products on our website Photonics.com.
Just click on the menu marked PRODUCTS on the navigation bar
(under the logo) to find new products almost every day.
When people ask, Whats new? tell them to go to:
Photonics.com/Products.
(413) 499-0514
photonics.com
511_Spotlight.qxd:Layout 1 4/19/11 3:57 PM Page 66
2125 August 2011
Register Today
Connecting minds for global solutions
The premier optical science and
emerging technologies meeting.
Exhibition dates
23-25 August 2011
Conference dates
21-25 August 2011
San Diego Convention Center
San Diego, California, USA
spie.org/op
511_SPIE_Optics&Pho_Pg67.qxd:Layout 1 4/20/11 11:26 AM Page 67
68
Ultrafast Laser
The Chameleon Vision-S ultrafast laser from Coherent
Inc. is used for multiphoton imaging and combines
80-fs pulse widths with high average power and a
long wavelength tuning range. It delivers more than
410 kW of usable peak power, after group velocity
dispersion (GVD) precompensation, and hands-free
tuning from 690 to 1050 nm. The blend of short pulse
widths and high average power translates into high
precompensated peak power from a one-box laser.
The laser is suitable for multiphoton excitation imaging. Its high peak power delivers
maximum imaging brightness in deeper tissues and, because it is a true one-box
laser with the laser oscillator and GVD precompensator integrated on a single
baseplate, it also provides good beam pointing stability of 80 rad per 100 nm of tuning.
Coherent Inc.
tech.sales@coherent.com
NIR Photon Counter
Available from ID Quantique SA, the id210 advanced
system for single-photon detection is suitable for detection
at the telecommunications wavelengths of 1310 and 1550
nm. Its performance in high-speed gating at internal or
external frequencies up to 100 MHz surpasses the perform-
ance of existing detectors by 10 times, according to the
company. The system can detect photons with a probability
of up to 25% at 1550 nm while maintaining the dark count
rate at low levels. It can achieve a timing resolution as low
as 250 ps. The id210 provides adjustable delays, adjust-
able gate duration from 1 to 20 ns and adjustable dead time up to 100 s. For applications
requiring asynchronous detection, the system can operate in free-running mode with detec-
tion probability of 2.5% up to 10%.
ID Quantique SA
leonard.widmer@idquantique.com
Silicon PCX Lenses
TechSpec silicon planoconvex (PCX)
lenses manufactured by Edmund
Optics Inc. are suitable for use in
weight-sensitive infrared applications
from 3 to 5 m, for near-infrared
imaging and infrared spectroscopy,
with density less than half that of
germanium or zinc selenide. The
lenses feature precision-polished
surfaces with a positive focal length
and with one flat and one convex
surface. They are designed for
orientation with the plano (flat) sur-
face facing toward the desired focal
plane, are available in focal lengths
from 25 to 250 mm and are offered
uncoated. They also may be coated
with a wide range of the companys
custom infrared coatings. The lenses
are manufactured from low-density
silicon and are suitable for use in the
1.2- to 7-m wavelength range.
Edmund Optics Inc.
sales@edmundoptics.com
IR-Enhanced CCD Image Sensor
For Raman spectroscopy and photometric applications, Hamamatsu Corp. has introduced the S11500-1007
back-thinned fast Fourier transform CCD. It has a spectral response range from 200 to 1100 nm and features
40% quantum efficiency at 1000 nm. Its enhanced sensitivity in the near-infrared region, which is beneficial
for detecting long-wavelength Raman emissions, is made possible by applying proprietary laser processing
technology to form a microelectromechanical systems structure on the back of the CCD. The sensor has
1024 122 pixels with a pixel size of 24 24 m. With binning, the CCD can be operated as a linear image
sensor. The binning operation ensures a higher signal-to-noise ratio and faster signal processing speeds
compared to methods that use an external circuit to add signals digitally.
Hamamatsu Corp.
usa@hamamatsu.com
IDEAS
BRIGHT
Dynamic Profiler
For 3-D measurement of surface roughness on
large polished optics and optical-quality surfaces,
despite vibration or turbulence, 4D Technology Corp.
has released the NanoCam Sq dynamic profiler.
The instrument replaces the slow, messy replication
methods required by traditional workstation
interferometers. By enabling on-machine roughness
metrology, it reduces handling and transportation
of the optic, increasing throughput and reducing
the risk of damage to expensive, mission-critical optics.
It uses dynamic interferometry, incorporating a high-
speed optical sensor that measures thousands of times
faster than typical profilers, according to the company.
Because acquisition time is short, the NanoCam Sq
can measure despite vibration, making it possible to
mount the instrument in polishing equipment, on
gantries or on robots. The system includes the profiler,
computer system and 4Sight analysis software.
4D Technology Corp.
info@4dtechnology.com
Fiber Laser
Calmar Laser Inc. has
added a high-power
780-nm femtosecond
fiber laser to its Men-
docino family. The
Mendocino model
FPL-05RFF0 offers
>500 mW of output
power and a pulse
width of 150 fs in an ultracompact laser pointer-style package
measuring 3 3 13.5 cm. It produces a 50-MHz train of
femtosecond pulses that have a near pedestal-free shape and good
pulse-to-pulse stability. The output beam has roundness better than
90% and M
2
<1.1, enabling optimal spatial resolution when used
in conjunction with microscope systems. The laser is air-cooled and
does not require a chiller. Pulse energy is up to 10 nJ, and pulse
widths are down to 0.15 ps. The second-harmonic-generation
passively mode-locked laser operates in the C-band and offers
linearly polarized and radio-frequency synchronization output.
Calmar Laser Inc.
peter.h@calmarlaser.com
511_Bright Idea Leads.qxd:Layout 1 4/19/11 3:47 PM Page 68
Diode Laser System
Dilas Industrial Laser Systems Mini is an inte-
grated diode laser system based on fiber-coupled
modules. Measuring 336 144 mm, the system
delivers optical output powers of up to 50 W
continuous-wave at 980 nm out of a 400-m
fiber and up to 35 W, continuous-wave, out of
a 200-m fiber. Cooling is provided by Peltier
elements and air flow. The system can be con-
trolled via either a USB port using the supplied
software or by conventional analog and 24-V
signals. The system is available as an integrat-
able OEM version without housing or as a
housed desktop version. A 5-m-long fiber optic
cable and an SMA connector deliver flexible
beam guidance to the working area. Applica-
tions include selective soldering and welding of
plastics.
Dilas Industrial Laser Systems
sales@dilas.com
Deuterium Lamps
Heraeus Noblelight GmbHs D2plus deuterium
lamps produce high stability and low optical
noise in a combination of a new advanced de-
sign and proprietary enhanced lifetime perform-
ance (ELP) technology. The next-generation
deuterium lamps are a new concept that instru-
ment manufacturers can design into their sys-
tems for higher throughput and precision ana-
lytical results. OEM customers benefit from the
companys experience with UV/quartz glass and
coatings, and metals and ceramics. Deuterium
lamps are now available with 0.5- and 1-mm
apertures with a minimum lifetime of 2000 h
for UV-VIS spectrophotometers, high-perfor-
mance liquid chromatography and ultrahigh-
performance liquid chromatography instru-
ments. The ELP technology ensures 50% more
initial intensity and greater than two times the
residual intensity compared with conventional
deuterium lamps, according to the company.
Heraeus Noblelight GmbH
katharina.schaefer.hng@heraeus.com
Industrial Cameras
Imaging Development Systems GmbH now
offers its GigE uEye CP industrial cameras with
the new 1.3-megapixel global shutter -in.
CMOS sensor from e2v Technologies. The
UI-5240CP Power over Ethernet (PoE) industrial
camera combines high light sensitivity, good
color fidelity and a fast frame rate with the
features of the Gigabit Ethernet interface and
a design consistent with industry applications.
These include a robust magnesium housing,
screw-on connectors, and optically isolated
digital inputs and outputs. With PoE, the camera
is supplied with electricity via the data cable,
rendering an additional power cable obsolete.
The camera can still be supplied with a 12- to
24-V external power source. Measuring 29
29 41 mm, it provides plug-and-play conven-
ience and is more powerful than USB models,
according to the company.
Imaging Development Systems GmbH
t.schmidgall@ids-imaging.de
Vibration Isolation Baseplate
A tabletop vibration isolation platform designed
for sensitive instrumentation and microscopes
has been introduced by Newport Corp. The
VIBe vibration isolation baseplate is a compact
and easy-to-use platform that reduces vibra-
tions that can disturb sensitive instruments.
Available in four standard shapes, two rectan-
gular and two triangular, it features a black
powder-coated steel plate and patented me-
chanical isolators that provide both vertical
and horizontal vibration isolation. No air lines,
compressors or other accessories are required.
Fundamental to the device are the IB isolator
bearings, which are available in discrete pay-
load ranges. The company offers six models of
IB bearings that cover a load range from 10 to
100 lb, enabling users to configure the proper
size platform and bearings in the required
locations on the baseplate.
Newport Corp.
warren.booth@newport.com
Antireflection Coatings
Adimec Advanced Image Systems bv has an-
nounced enhanced antireflection (AR) coatings
for its Quartz camera series. The offerings im-
prove the quality and accuracy of the cameras
by reducing reflection to as little as 0.25% of
69
b BRIGHT IDEAS
511_Bright ideas.qxd:Layout 1 4/21/11 2:09 PM Page 69
the light beams processed by the sensor. Standard AR coatings delivered
with off-the-shelf sensors typically provide protection levels of 2% of light
at bandwidth ranges of 400 to 700 nm, while the new coatings consis-
tently achieve sub-0.5% protection at bandwidths of 400 to 900 nm.
Based on proprietary True Accurate Imaging technology, the coatings are
available in single and multilayer configurations, with protection levels
ranging from 2% to 0.25%, depending upon the bandwidth required.
Adimec Advanced Image Systems bv
saleseu@adimec.com
Imaging Software
Media Cybernetics has released the
Image-Pro Insight Version 8.0 image
acquisition, processing, measure-
ment and reporting software. It in-
cludes an updated user interface and
ease-of-use enhancements. New
features include combined live tiling
and live extended depth of field,
which make it easy to acquire large,
tiled images and highly focused live
images without an automated stage
or focus drive. Users can create
focused, tiled images in one sitting
while manually moving their speci-
mens around. The new version provides live measurements, automatic
calibration and reporting tools, and manual distance, angle, best-fit and
area measurement tools. It introduces Snap-to-Edge magnetic measure-
ments that identify object edges to guarantee consistent and fast meas-
urements. The softwares semiautomated Auto Trace draws around an
object and determines area measurements with two clicks.
Media Cybernetics
dfbaum@mediacy.com
b BRIGHT IDEAS
Glass Trace Evidence
Craic Technologies Inc. has collabo-
rated with Laboratory Imaging sro to
introduce the rIQ (refractive index
quantification) system for analyzing
glass trace evidence. It combines
image analysis software, an ad-
vanced optical design and electron-
ics to enable criminalists in forensic
laboratories to measure and quantify
the refractive index of multiple glass
fragments simultaneously, quickly
and accurately. It monitors the
change in refractive index of cali-
brated oils as they are heated and
cooled. It is offered in a turnkey
stand-alone configuration, as part
of a microspectrophotometer that
includes color analysis of glass, or
as part of an upgrade package for
older units. The stand-alone package
includes a phase contrast microscope, a high-resolution digital camera,
the optical interface, a thermal stage, controlling electronics and software.
Craic Technologies Inc.
sales@microspectra.com
Dual-Camera Adapter
Andor Technology plc has launched the TuCam adapter for simultaneous
two-camera macro- and microscopic imaging. Suited to fast, concurrent
detection of two different fluorophores in experiments such as colocaliza-
tion Frster resonance energy transfer and ratiometric ion signaling, it
is compatible with the companys low-light imaging cameras, including
iXon3 and Luca electron-multiplying CCDs, and with the Clara interline
b BRIGHT IDEAS
511_Bright ideas.qxd:Layout 1 4/21/11 11:23 AM Page 71
CCD and the Neo sCMOS model. Bypass mode and first surface mirror
enable switching between cameras. The adapter can be configured for
simultaneous imaging from two similar cameras, or as a switch between
camera models with different capabilities. The robust design ensures good
optical and mechanical stability, and ease of alignment via kinematic
cassettes. The device is available in C- and CSUX-mount versions and
offers a variety of beamsplitting optics.
Andor Technology plc
marketing@andor.com
Spectrum Analyzers
Agilent Technologies Inc.
has introduced the
N9344C and N9343C
handheld spectrum ana-
lyzers for technicians and
engineers who install,
maintain and troubleshoot radio-frequency/microwave systems, monitor
the spectrum or manage interference in the field. The analyzers facilitate
testing by providing the performance of a benchtop instrument in a hand-
held device, along with a range of functionality for ensuring field-ready
operation and automating routine tasks. They provide fast and accurate
measurement from 1 MHz to 20 GHz and 13.6 GHz, respectively. Both
instruments are tunable to 9 kHz and feature a rugged and fanless design
for operating in tough field environments. They are suitable for use in
the aerospace/defense, microwave and satellite communications, wireless
communication and broadcasting, spectrum regulation and general-
purpose spectrum analysis markets.
Agilent Technologies Inc.
afm-info@agilent.com
Miniature Spectrometers
B&W Tek Inc. has announced the updated Quest series miniature fiber
b BRIGHT IDEAS
optic spectrometers that now feature an ultra -
low thermal drift spectrum and a faster readout
speed of >2 MHz. The devices are available
with an optional RS-232 communication inter-
face for integration into larger systems. Their
fast readout speed makes them suitable for use
in high-speed applications such as LED binning
and sorting. They employ both a traditional
crossed Czerny-Turner spectrograph (Quest X)
as well as an unfolded Czerny-Turner spectro-
graph (Quest U) that minimizes stray light in the
UV region. The series is equipped with a 2048-
element linear CCD array, a built-in 16-bit digi-
tizer and an externally synchronized trigger. The
uncooled Quest X has a plug-and-play USB 2.0
interface.
B&W Tek Inc.
sales@bwtek.com
Spectral Filter
For optical coherence tomography (OCT) and
white-light interferometry (WLI) applications,
NKT Photonics A/S has introduced the SuperK
Gauss spectral filter for use with SuperK
Extreme supercontinuum lasers. It transforms
the broadband output of the laser to a Gauss-
ian output and provides ultrawide-bandwidth
spectral output in two bands, with a tunable
center wavelength for each. Manual shutters
provide port control. For OCT, the filter delivers
high-power spectral output centered at 800 and
1300 nm, through single-mode fiber using the
SuperK fiber delivery system. Similar configura-
tions are available for WLI applications. The
filter enables tuning of the center wavelength
of each band over 200 nm. It connects easily
to the SuperK Extreme and shares the same
plug-and-play platform. The wavelength split
point is 1050 nm.
NKT Photonics A/S
laser_sales@nktphotonics.com
OEM Spectrometers
Ibsen Photonics has launched the Rock VIS-NIR
and XNIR (extended NIR) line of modular, indus-
trial-grade, robust OEM spectrometers for the
550- to 1050-nm and 1175- to 2185-nm-
wavelength ranges, respectively. They deliver
high optical throughput because of an f number
of 2.2 and the use of proprietary fused-silica
transmission gratings. The athermal Rock VIS-
NIR can be supplied with almost any detector
type, enabling customers to choose a spectrom-
eter configuration that best meets their needs.
The XNIR uses an InGaAs detector to provide
high sensitivity and a good signal-to-noise ratio.
The VIS-NIR series comprises the RST-200 for a
large dynamic/absorbance range and the RST-
300 for high sensitivity. Both have a numerical
aperture of 0.22.
Ibsen Photonics
info@ibsen.dk
Solar Simulators
Oriel, a Newport Corp. brand, offers the Sol3A
family of Class AAA solar simulator products for
photovoltaic (PV) applications. The continuous-
wave sources provide an output beam of 300
300 mm and use a xenon lamp. They feature a
stable proprietary spectral correction filter and
optical design to meet Class A performance
qualifications, including spectral match, nonuni-
formity of irradiance, and temporal instability
for compliance with IEC, JIS and ASTM stan-
dards. The beam output offers maximum flexi-
bility for PV test-and-measurement capabilities.
Tested using industry standard methods, the
solar simulator features easy replacement of the
1600-W xenon lamp. It requires no special
hardwiring to the electrical mains, and it offers
a highly collimated output suited for concentra-
tor applications.
Oriel
ed.manke@newport.com
Thermal Imager
Optris GmbH has unveiled the second genera-
tion of its PI thermal imager. The stationary
camera is now equipped with a new detector to
improve measurement accuracy. The new gen-
eration of detectors enables measurement of
small objects on a micrometer scale. Thermal
images can be displayed in real time at a rate
of 120 Hz, or one picture every 8 ms, as a re-
sult of improved signal processing. The imager
is based on a small uncooled 160 120-pixel
detector that produces good local resolution of
the device under test. Pixel size is 25 25 m.
Thermal processes of very small objects starting
from 50 m can be imaged, such as small sur-
73
ew
1030 nm (20 nm FWHM)
1060 nm (20 nm FWHM)
1062 nm (0.2 nm FWHM)
b BRIGHT IDEAS
face-mount-device components. Precise meas-
urements can be performed starting from a size
of 0.5 mm.
Optris GmbH
longing.becken@optris.de
Microscope System
Olympus Europa Holding GmbH has released
the BX63 microscope system built with a modu-
lar customizable design to meet different exper-
imental requirements, while providing adapt-
ability for future use. Users can select their
preferred components, including optical ele-
ments, camera, software suite and control func-
tions. The instrument incorporates several mo-
torized features, including a programmable
touch screen and a detachable remote control
to maximize accuracy and stability. The accom-
panying cellSens software can be personalized.
The BX63 can be controlled using the touch
screen, the remote control unit or the cellSens
software via the mouse. The detachable control
units provide an ergonomic system that can be
tailored to specific needs. Users have adjust-
ment options such as changing the objective
lens, mirror unit or observation method.
Olympus Europa Holding GmbH
microscopy@olympus-europa.com
Ultrafast TOF Detectors
Photonis USA has added a 40-mm size to its
Gen2 ultrafast time-of-flight (TOF) detector
product line, which now can support input areas
from 18 to 40 mm and allows a TOF mass
spectrometer to increase its mass resolution
simply by replacing the detector. The detector
line addresses two major areas that affect reso-
lution in TOF mass spectrometry: microchannel
plate (MCP) flatness and anode spacing. The
detectors are equipped with proprietary and
patented MountingPad microchannel plates to
reduce anode spacing and use TruFlite MCP
flatness technology to reduce time jitter. These
technologies combine to produce a detector
with high sensitivity and good mass resolution.
The detectors provide typical pulse widths of
<200 ps and a near-symmetric 120-ps rise
and fall time.
Photonis USA
sales@usa.photonis.com
Multispectral Imager
For real-time multispectral imaging of organic
and inorganic chemicals, Ocean Thin Films
SpectroCam provides a platform that simplifies
the design process for researchers and engi-
neers, reducing time to market. The imager
uses a single wideband CCD that measures the
spectrum from the ultraviolet through the near-
infrared. Using a discrete set of application-
specific wavelengths, it creates high-resolution
images. This targeted spectral approach pro-
duces visual data that can be customized for
applications in the military, agricultural, medical
and industrial markets. For R&D teams needing
a quick solution in proof-of-concept studies, it
is available in a development kit that includes a
74
b BRIGHT IDEAS
set of filters covering the most commonly used
wavelengths. Filters and sensors can be cus-
tomized, and the cameras are easily reconfig-
ured for OEM applications.
Ocean Thin Films
info@oceanthinfilms.com
Image Processing
Photron USA Inc. offers the IDP Express R2000
system for high-speed real-time image process-
ing. It features an onboard field-programmable
gate array (FPGA) to provide experienced devel-
opers access to the high-speed open-ended
architecture. The system supports one or two
of the companys miniature CMOS high-speed
camera heads at full or reduced resolution and
speed. It is available in two configurations,
without the FPGA and with a XiLinx FPGA. With-
out the FPGA, the R2000 operates in a typical,
high-speed image acquisition capacity, writing
image data directly to the host computers RAM;
operating with it, the R-2000-F enables real-
time hardware-based preprocessing while
recording the event.
Photron USA Inc.
abridges@photron.com
Imaging Software
The SymPhoTime version 5.2.4. fluorescence
lifetime imaging and correlation software from
PicoQuant GmbH supports the eight-channel
configuration of the companys HydraHarp 400
time-correlated single-photon-counting system
(TCSPC) and, therefore, data acquisition and
analysis for up to eight detection channels.
Another enhancement is the extension of the
measurement preview functions. It is now possi-
ble to display TCSPC histograms as well as
75
b
INTRODUCING THE
NEXT GENERATION
Features:
Ultra low noise CW
output power at
1 & 1.5W
Pitch Perfect
Single Frequency
Performance
Diffraction limited
beam quality
(M
2
< 1.05)
Pitch Perfect
for Outstanding
Instrument
Performance
Revolutionizing
high power
DPSS lasers
To find out more visit:
www.klastech.com/symphony
International +49 (0)231 47730 648
US toll free +1 877.220.7077
Come and visit us at
Laser World of Photonics, Munich.
May 23rd 26th, 2011
Booth# B1.135, Hall B1
BRIGHT IDEAS
intensity time traces for each channel separately during measurement.
This is advantageous for Frster resonance energy transfer measurements
because it enables direct monitoring of changes in the fluorescence
intensity of the donor and acceptor during data acquisition. The online
fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy features of the software also
have been improved by such additions as a scalable intensity and lifetime
color code.
PicoQuant GmbH
info@picoquant.com
Color Cameras
Available from PPT Vision
are 26 Impact M-Series
color cameras with dedi-
cated color Impact soft-
ware tools for sorting,
monitoring and identifying
color objects. The embed-
ded vision system is a fast
and robust factory auto -
mation camera system,
and the addition of nu-
merous new color smart
cameras allows it to solve a broader range of machine vision applications.
The cameras range from VGA-resolution models to 210-fps high-speed
types to a 5-megapixel model. Gray-scale cameras such as the Impact
A20 solve the majority of machine vision applications. However, sophisti-
cated color cameras and tools are needed to solve numerous critical in-
spection and guidance operations for industries ranging from food prod-
ucts to transportation equipment. Applications include detecting food
spoilage and determining the fat content in meat.
PPT Vision
info@pptvision.com
b BRIGHT IDEAS
Compact HD Zoom Lens
The Model 330 compact motorized high-defini-
tion (HD) zoom lens from Resolve Optics Ltd.
offers ultraclose focus. Providing users with HD
resolution throughout its range of operation,
the lens measures 87.5 45 mm and weighs
<500 g. The f/1.8, 10 tracking zoom ensures
that the image stays in focus throughout the
zoom travel by using floating cell technology.
The lens can focus on objects up to 450 mm
away. The camera mount incorporates topside
and back focus adjustment so the lens can
quickly and easily be set up on any camera.
A user-changeable rear cell enables the lens to
be adapted for use on camera formats between
1
3 and
2
3 in., including three-CCD formats.
Resolve Optics Ltd.
sales@resolveoptics.com
Galvanometer Mirror Coatings
Military coatings for galvanometer mirrors are
available from Reynard Corp. The high-reflec-
tion coatings achieve reflectivity of >99.9% and
can withstand rigid durability requirements per
military specifications, including temperature/
humidity and salt/fog per Mil-C-48497A. Mir-
rors can be manufactured from most any sub-
strate but are commonly made from BK-7, fused
silica or silicon. With its computer numerical
control machining capabilities, the company can
shape the mirror substrates to suit any applica-
tion. The substrates are then coated with a
highly reflective protected metal or multilayer
dielectric tuned for the required wavelength
band and application. Galvanometer mirrors
are suited for durable reflective coating designs.
Applications range from ambient and controlled
to harsh military conditions.
Reynard Corp.
info@reynardcorp.com
Tunable Laser
Yenista Optics has released a tunable laser in
the 1310-nm-wavelength region. The Tunics
T100R uses a new optical cavity design to pro-
vide optical power of 6 dBm with a low-noise
>80 dB/0.1-nm signal-to-spontaneous-emission
77
b BRIGHT IDEAS
ratio. Patented self-filtered external cavity laser technology enables
the combination of low noise and high power. The O-band laser operates
from 1270 to 1340 nm and is suitable for characterizing narrow-band-
width filters and for functioning as a light source for testing high-speed
transmission systems. Engineers developing and testing components for
40- and 100-Gigabit Ethernet and fiber-to-the-home/passive optical
networks find the laser beneficial. Proprietary Optim-Y technology delivers
high wavelength accuracy and mode-hop-free operation with no ampli-
fied spontaneous emission. The laser operates in sweeping and step-by-
step modes.
Yenista Optics
sales@yenista.com
Millimeter Wave Measurement
SA Photonics has developed a
millimeter wave measurement
system (MWMS), a high-power
measurement and calibration unit
that tests and calibrates millimeter
wave sources and instrument test
ranges. It records power densities
in frequencies ranging from 40 to
110 GHz with an accuracy of
0.5 dB. The MWMS measures millimeter wave emissions directly from
their source, providing operators with accurate and timely information
about power and frequency. It has applicability to 95-GHz active denial
systems. The company says that, as the use of active denial systems for
nonlethal applications grows, defense and homeland security agencies
will need MWMS to effectively calibrate these systems and ensure their
safe use. The system comprises a photonic probe, a processing unit, a
fiber optic spool and up to 5 km of fiber optic cable.
SA Photonics
sales@saphotonics.com
78
For Whats Around
the Curve.
Successful manufacturing means
negotiating the tightest curves.
EASTEC can help you see
around them. Start making
your attendance plans.
www.easteconline.com
800.733.4763
May 17-19, 2011
Eastern States Exposition
West Springfield, Massachusetts
b BRIGHT IDEAS
C-Mount Lenses
Schneider Optics C-mount
2
3-in. (11-m image
circle) lenses are designed for aerospace and
military imaging. The compact precision primes
are optically corrected and broadband-coated
for the visible and near-infrared spectral range
of 400 to 1000 nm on megapixel cameras.
Engineered to image properly across the entire
specified range, they offer consistent operation
without focus shifts. Providing high vibration
stability, they feature a robust yet lightweight
mechanical design. A lockable-focus and iris-
setting mechanism guarantees long-term stabil-
ity, even in rigorous production environments.
The lens family includes the following focal
lengths: 4.8, 6, 8, 12, 17, 23, 35 and 70 mm.
Most have front threads to accept a screw-on
filter, except for the 4.8- and 6-mm lenses,
which have a filter adapter.
Schneider Optics
industrial@schneideroptics.com
Intravital Imaging
The optical design of Till Photonics GmbHs
Intravital2P microscope dedicated to intravital
imaging increases light collection efficiency for
dual-color two-photon microscopy. The ultra-
compact imaging platform provides an opti-
mized dual-emission beam path for high collec-
tion efficiency in both detection channels. The
enhanced signal detection facilitates imaging at
low-light levels and improves signal-to-noise ra-
tios for dynamic measurements deep within
highly scattering tissue. The proprietary Yanus
scan head provides good scan quality with ho-
mogeneous two-photon excitation as well as
large-area scanning. Combined with its fast
scanning speeds, the microscope enables long-
term in vivo imaging with reduced phototoxic
effects. The voice coil-based focus drive com-
bines excursions of up to 7.5 mm with 50-nm
resolution, step response time of <10 ms and
high speed for 3-D views of the sample.
Till Photonics GmbH
sales@till-usa.com
Line-Scan Camera
For machine vision, sorting and solar inspection
applications, Sensors Unlimited Goodrich ISR
Systems compact SU1024LDM line-scan cam-
era features high-resolution 1024-pixel imaging
in the short-wavelength infrared (SWIR). Its
square pixels are suitable for inspection of
polished silicon blocks, ingots, wafers and hot
glass bottles, and for use on continuous-process
lines that apply transparent coatings that can
be seen in the SWIR region. The square pixel
design ensures that the pixel height is sharply
defined by a metal mask, providing better uni-
formity of response and improved measurement
accuracy for the object being imaged. The ro-
bust camera measures 76 74 61 mm and
has mounting points on four of its six sides,
facilitating integration into a processing line
or machine vision system.
Sensors Unlimited
sui_info@goodrich.com
Blue-Light Transilluminator
Syngene has unveiled its blue-light transillumi-
nator light box for safe, precise viewing of fluo-
rescently labeled DNA and proteins. It does not
have to be used in a darkroom, and it can be
easily fitted into any of the companys image
capture systems. It can illuminate dyes that emit
light at 420 to 480 nm, so it is suitable for visu-
alizing nanogram amounts of nontoxic DNA
stains, including SYBR Safe, SYBR Green, SYBR
Gold (Invitrogen) and GelGreen (Biotium), as
well as protein stains such as SYPRO Ruby and
ProQ Diamond (Invitrogen). Visible blue light is
not damaging to the human eye and does not
photo-nick DNA as UV light does. The transillu-
minator is supplied with a 20 20-cm gel
viewing area, suitable for use in most labora-
tory applications.
Syngene
ussales@syngene.com
79
b BRIGHT IDEAS
Concave Grating Spectrometers
The Black-Comet-HR concave grating spectrom-
eters manufactured by StellarNet are designed
for high-resolution applications. Available for
measurements in the UV (200 to 600 nm) and
visible (380 to 750 nm) ranges, the instruments
achieve resolution of 0.4 nm. The 16-bit devices
are plug-and-play USB 2.0-powered, shock-
proof and vibration-tolerant, have no moving
parts, and include the SpectraWiz 32-bit
spectrometer software and development kit.
The software includes drivers and can be
customized to run on Windows. It accurately
measures wavelength emissions, reflectance,
transmission, absorption, concentrations and
absolute intensities. It has built-in applications
for spectroradiometry, spectrocolorimetry,
ChemWiz chemistry laboratory concentration
analysis and UV-level monitors. The devices
use a 40-mm-diameter holographic concave
grating with aberration correction to provide
good spectral imaging and to improve
spectral shapes.
StellarNet
contactus@stellarnet.us
Cooled IR Cameras
Telops has launched the TEL-1000 cooled
infrared camera line available in three configu-
rations: mid-wave, covering the 3- to 5-m
range; long-wave, the 8- to 11-m range;
and very long wave, the 7.7- to 11.8-m range.
Ease of use and customization are integrated
into the cameras design. They feature a
patented temperature calibration algorithm,
providing either raw or thermally calibrated
data in real time without the need for
external blackbodies. They also can be
equipped with automatic exposure control
to adjust the exposure time according to
the scenes dynamic temperature variations.
These options allow the cameras to be
customized to meet the demands of specific
applications. Benefits include setup time
reduction and instantaneous availability of
processed and calibrated images.
Telops
contact@telops.com
80
b BRIGHT IDEAS
b ANOTHER BRIGHT IDEA
Advertise your new product in
Photonics Showcase or in the
Spotlight section of Photonics Spectra.
Reach all of our readers in these
low-cost, lead-generating features.
Call Tracy Reynolds at (413) 499-0514,
or e-mail advertising@Photonics.com.
JUNE
11th Annual OptiNet China 2011
and China FTTH (June 1-2) Beijing.
Contact Peter Lee, InfoEx-World Services Ltd.,
+852 2865 1118; peter.lee@infoexws.com;
www.optinetchina.com.
Advances in Optics for Biotechnology,
Medicine and Surgery XII Conference
(June 5-8) Naples, Fla. Contact Engineering
Conferences International, +1 (212) 514-6760;
info@engconfintl.org; www.engconf.org.
Fourth International Conference
on Quantum Information (ICQI) (June 6-8)
Ottawa. Contact Optical Society of America, +1
(202) 223-8130; info@osa.org; www.osa.org.
Sensors Expo & Conference (June 6-8)
Rosemont, Ill. Contact Jennifer Marcus,
Questex Media Group LLC, +1 (617) 219-8330;
jmarcus@questex.com; www.sensorsexpo.com.
Advanced High-Power Lasers (June 6-10)
Santa Fe, N.M. Contact Donna Storment,
Directed Energy Professional Society, +1 (505)
998-4910; donna@deps.org; www.deps.org.
Sensor+Test 2011 (June 7-9) Nuremberg,
Germany. Contact AMA Service GmbH,
+49 50 3396 390; info@sensorfairs.de;
www.sensorfairs.de.
euroLED 2011 (June 8-9) West Midlands, UK.
Contact +44 121 250 3515; eveg@bsp-a.com;
www.euroled.org.uk.
Intersolar Europe Conference 2011
(June 8-10) Munich, Germany. Contact Team
Intersolar Europe, Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik
und Messe GmbH & Co. KG, +49 761 3881
3700; intersolar@fwtm.freiburg.de;
www.intersolar.de/en.
Advanced Photonics Congress
(June 12-16) Toronto. Contact Optical Society
of America, +1 (202) 223-8130; info@osa.org;
www.osa.org.
International Conference on Micro/Nano
Optical Engineering (ICOME) (June 12-16)
Changchun, China. Contact ICOME Secretariat,
+86 431 8617 6852; icome@ciomp.ac.cn;
icome2011.csp.escience.cn.
Nanotech Conference & Expo 2011
(June 13-16) Boston. Contact Sarah Wenning,
+1 (925) 353-5004; swenning@nsti.org;
www.nsti.org.
Mirror Technology SBIR/STTR Workshop
(June 20-23) Greenbelt, Md. Contact SPIE,
+1 (360) 676-3290; customerservice@spie.org;
spie.org.
16th International Conference on
Luminescence & Optical Spectroscopy
of Condensed Matter 2011 (June 26-July 1)
Ann Arbor, Mich. Contact University of
Michigan, Marketing and Conference Services,
+1 (734) 764-5297; conferences@umich.edu;
www.sitemaker.umich.edu/icl2011.
QCAV 2011: 10th International Conference
on Quality Control by Artificial Vision
(June 28-30) Saint-Etienne, France. Contact
Secretariat, +33 477 4201 23; qcav2011@
emse.fr; qcav2011.emse.fr.
JULY
16th Opto-Electronics and Communications
Conference (July 4-8) Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
HAPPENINGS
PAPERS
Renewable Energy and the Environment (November 2-4) Austin, Texas
Deadline: Paper submission, June 28, noon EDT (16:00 GMT)
Papers are invited for this OSA Optics and Photonics Congress, which encompasses the meetings
Optics for Solar Energy (SOLAR); Solid State and Organic Lighting (SOLED); Optical Nanostructures
and Advanced Materials for Photovoltaics (PV); and the new Optical Instrumentation for Energy
and Environmental Applications (E2). Contact Optical Society of America, +1 (202) 223-8130;
info@osa.org; www.osa.org.
IS&T/SPIE Electronic Imaging 2012 (January 22-26) San Francisco
Deadline: Abstracts, July 11
Researchers are invited to submit their findings at this electronics imaging event, which will address
topics such as image and multimedia processing; digital imaging sensors and applications; 3-D
imaging, interaction and measurement; imaging, visualization and perception; and visual information
processing and communication. The meeting is sponsored by SPIE and the Society for Imaging
Science and Technology. Contact SPIE, +1 (360) 676-3290; customerservice@spie.org; spie.org.
Laser Florence (November 4-5) Florence, Italy
Deadline: Abstracts, July 15
The International Academy Laser Medicine & Surgery invites papers for its 25th International
Laser Medicine Congress, Laser Florence. Laser medical applications for the human body, including
the skin, teeth and nervous system, and at the cellular level will be addressed. A session will be
dedicated to the use of laser beams and light in quantum and regenerative medicine. Awards
will be given for the best paper and poster presentations. Accepted papers will be published
in the official journal of the academy. Contact IALMS, fax: +39 055 3906 9632; ialms@laser
florence.org; www.laserflorence.org.
511Happenings.qxd:Layout 1 4/19/11 3:30 PM Page 81
Contact Secretariat, +886 7 525 1569;
oecc2011@oecc2011.org; www.oecc2011.org.
Imaging and Applied Optics Congress
(July 10-14) Toronto. Contact Optical Society
of America, +1 (202) 223-8130; info@osa.org;
www.osa.org.
Semicon West/Intersolar North America
2011 (July 12-14) San Francisco. Contact
SEMI, +1 (408) 943-6978; semiconwest@
semi.org; www.semiconwest.org.
Second International Symposium
on Liquid Crystals: Science and Technology
(July 17-19) Changzhou, China. Contact
Secretariat, LCST2011, Changzhou University,
+86 519 8633 4730; info@lcst-cn.org;
www.lcst-cn.org.
Joint International Symposium
on Optical Memory & Optical Data Storage
(July 17-21) Kauai, Hawaii. Contact Optical
Society of America, +1 (202) 223-8130;
info@osa.org; www.osa.org.
Nonlinear Optics (July 17-22) Kauai, Hawaii.
Contact Optical Society of America, +1 (202)
223-8130; info@osa.org; www.osa.org.
AUGUST
Fundamental Optical Processes
in Semiconductors 2011 (Aug. 1-5)
Lake Junaluska, N.C. Contact University
of Bremen, fops2011@itp.uni-bremen.de;
www.fops2011.phyast.pitt.edu.
NIWeek 2011 (Aug. 2-4) Austin, Texas.
Contact National Instruments, +1 (800)
531-5066; www.ni.com.
Microscopy & Microanalysis 2011
(Aug. 7-11) Nashville, Tenn. Contact
Catalina Mercado, Microscopy Society
of America Association Office, +1 (703)
234-4089; cmercado@drohanmgmt.com;
www.microscopy.org.
SPIE Optics + Photonics (Aug. 21-25)
San Diego. Contact SPIE, +1 (360) 676-3290;
customerservice@spie.org; spie.org.
IQEC/CLEO Pacific Rim 2011
(Aug. 28-Sept.1) Sydney, Australia.
Combines International Quantum Electronics
Conference; Conference on Lasers and
Electro-Optics Pacific Rim; Australasian
Conference on Optics, Lasers and Spectroscopy;
and Australian Conference on Optical Fibre
Technology. Contact Waldronsmith Manage-
ment, +61 3 9645 6311; iqec-cleopr2011@
wsm.com.au; www.iqec-cleopr2011.com.
82
h HAPPENINGS
For complete listings, visit
www.photonics.com/calendar
Advertising Opportunity
Call Sales at 413-499-0514
Capture your share of these promising markets with
advertising in the July issue of Photonics Spectra.
Featured in July Photonics Spectra
Fiber vs. Disk Lasers
Optical Filters
High-Content Imaging
Beam Profiling
Also in July: Advertising Spotlight: Optics & Optics
Fabrication; Digital Exclusive: Spherical Optics;
Supplement: Photonics Showcase
Coming in August: Silicon Lasers, Transformational
Optics, Organic Photodetectors, Fluorescence;
AsiaPhotonics; Photonics List Issue; Sneak Preview:
SPIE Optics & Photonics 2011; Advertising Spotlight:
511Happenings.qxd:Layout 1 4/19/11 3:30 PM Page 82
a
ADVERTISER INDEX
Photonics Media Advertising Contacts
Please visit our website
Photonics.com for all
your marketing needs.
Ken Tyburski
Director of Sales
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514, Ext. 101
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
ken.tyburski@photonics.com
New England,
Southeastern US & FL
Rebecca L. Pontier
Regional Manager
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514, Ext. 112
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
becky.pontier@photonics.com
NY, NJ & PA
Timothy A. Dupree
Regional Manager
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514, Ext. 111
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
tim.dupree@photonics.com
CA, AK, NV, HI,
Pacific Northwest, Yukon
& British Columbia
Karen Hardison
Regional Manager
Voice: +1 (916) 990-1473
Fax: +1 (916) 933-0752
karen.hardison@photonics.com
Rocky Mountains, AZ, NM,
Midwest & Eastern Canada
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
Europe & Israel
Penny Pretty
European Sales Manager
Voice: +44 1494 564411
penny.pretty@photonics.com
Austria, Germany & Liechtenstein
Olaf Kortenhoff
Voice: +49 2241 1684776
Fax: +49 2241 1684777
olaf.kortenhoff@photonics.com
Asia (except Japan)
Hans Zhong
Voice: +86 755 2157 3066
Fax: +86 755 2872 6973
hans.zhong@yahoo.com.cn
Japan
Scott Shibasaki
Voice: +81 3 5225 6614
Fax: +81 3 5229 7253
s_shiba@optronics.co.jp
Reprint Services
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
editorial@photonics.com
Mailing addresses:
Send all contracts, insertion orders
and advertising copy to:
Laurin Publishing
PO Box 4949
Street address:
Laurin Publishing
Berkshire Common, 2 South St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
E-mail: advertising@photonics.com
4D Technology Corporation.....20
www.4dtechnology.com
Andor Technology ..................65
www.andor.com
Applied Scientific
Instrumentation.....................56
www.asiimaging.com
Argyle International ................82
www.argyleoptics.com
Aston Science Park .................70
www.euroled.org
Avantes..................................62
www.avantes.com
Biophotonic
Solutions Inc. Lab .................65
www.info@biophotonic
solutions.com
Bristol Instruments Inc. ......47, 66
www.bristol-inst.com
Cambridge
Technology Inc. ...................13
www.cambridgetechnology.com
Castech Inc. ...........................79
www.castech.com
Coherent Inc. ......................CV2
www.coherent.com
Cooke Corporation Ltd. ..........44
www.cookecorp.com
CRi, a part of Caliper
Life Sciences ........................66
www.cri-inc.com
CVI Melles Griot ...............19, 43
www.cvimellesgriot.com
Directed Energy Inc. ...............34
www.ixyscolorado.com
Docter Optics GmbH.................6
www.docteroptics.com
Edmund Optics .......................15
www.edmundoptics.com
Energetiq Technology Inc. .......16
www.energetiq.com
Esco Products Inc. ..................42
www.escoproducts.com
Exciton Inc. ............................30
www.exciton.com
Gooch & Housego ..................14
www.goochandhousego.com
Greenlee Textron ....................21
www.greenlee.textron.com
Hellma USA ...........................71
www.hellmausa.com
Heraeus Quartz America ........29
www.heraeusoptics.com
ILX Lightwave Corp. ...............36
www.lightwave.com
Image Science Ltd. .................80
www.image-science.co.uk
Imaging Solutions Group.........40
www.isgchips.com
Incom Inc. .............................11
www.incomusa.com
Infratec Infrared LLC................26
www.infratec-infrared.com
Intertech-Pira ..........................74
www.nanomaterials-
conference.com
Intlvac ....................................81
www.intlvac.com
Julabo USA Inc. .....................65
www.julabo.com
Klastech Karpushko Laser
Technologies GmbH .............75
www.klastech.de
Lambda Research
Corporation.........................25
www.lambdares.com
Lambda Research
Optics Inc. ..........................41
www.lambda.cc
Laser Institute
of America ..........................72
www.icaleo.org
Lightmachinery Inc. ..........24, 77
www.lightmachinery.com
Mad City Labs ........................24
www.madcitylabs.com
Martek Power
Laser Drive LLC ....................31
www.laserdrive.com
Mightex Systems .....................82
www.mightexsystems.com
Nano Science & Technology
Instrumentation.....................76
www.techconnectworld.com/
nanotech2011
Newport Corp. .......22, 57, CV4
www.newport.com
Novotech Inc. ........................75
www.novotech.net
nPoint Inc. .............................78
www.npoint.com
Nufern .....................................7
www.nufern.com
Opco Laboratory Inc. ...............8
www.opcolab.com
PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P. ......69
www.pi.ws
Pico Electronics Inc. ................58
www.picoelectronics.com
Picoquant GmbH ....................73
www.picoquant.com
Piezosystem
Jena GmbH .........................76
www.piezojena.com
PL Systems Inc. ......................65
www.plsys.net
POG Gera .............................70
www.pog.eu
Polymicro
Technologies LLC..................56
www.polymicro.com
Power Technology Inc. ...........23
www.powertechnology.com
Qioptiq Inc. ........................CV3
www.qioptiqlinos.com
Research
Electro-Optics ......................17
www.reoinc.com
Roithner Lasertechnik...............80
www.roithner-laser.com
Rolyn Optics Co. ...................33
www.rolyn.com
SEMI ......................................63
www.semiconwest.org
Sill Optics GmbH....................77
www.silloptics.de
Siskiyou Corporation...............46
www.siskiyou.com
Society of Manufacturing
Engineers.............................78
www.easteconline.com
Spectrogon US Inc. ................72
www.spectrogon.com
SPIE International Society
for Optical Engineering ........67
www.spie.org/optics-
photonics.xml
Stanford Research
Systems Inc. ..........................3
www.thinksrs.com
Swift Glass Co. Inc. ................71
www.swiftglass.com
Synopsys Inc. ..........................9
www.opticalres.com
Technical
Manufacturing Corp. ...........66
www.techmfg.com
Terahertz
Technologies Inc. .................66
www.terahertztechnologies.com
Tohkai Sangyo Co. Ltd. ..........80
www.peak.co.jp
Toptica Photonics Inc. .......27, 53
www.toptica.com
Trioptics GmbH.......................65
www.trioptics.com
Vortran Laser
Technology Inc. ...................62
www.vortranlaser.com
Zygo Corp. ...........................35
www.zygo.com
511AdIndex.qxd:Layout 1 4/21/11 10:35 AM Page 83
p PEREGRINATIONS
A
s you enjoy your lunch today, imagine more than 1000 sandwich rolls
per minute moving along a production line as bakers anxiously check
for machine failures that could result in dozens upon dozens of less-
than-perfect buns that will never be invited to the picnic.
Now ponder the fact that a prototype automated imaging system has been
developed to help bakers produce consistently high quality buns for their food
service and fast-food customers.
Senior research engineer Douglas Britton and research scientist Colin Usher
of Georgia Tech Research Institute in Atlanta developed the system. They
worked with Georgia-based Flower Foods of Thomasville, a baking company,
and Baking Technology Systems (BakeTech) of Tucker, a baking equipment
manufacturer.
The system, which was tested at a Flowers Foods bakery for more than
a year at hour-long intervals, comprises a digital camera that images the
buns as they exit the oven, and imaging software that assesses whether their
color is too light or too dark to be of high enough quality. If the software
detects substandard buns, it automatically sends the color information to
the oven controller, which adjusts the temperature. This rapid correction
could help minimize a bakerys material and product loss.
Basically, it shortens the interval between when a problem is noticed and
when it is fixed. For example, if a quantity of buns takes a total of 12 minutes
to bake and a batch is checked after eight minutes and found to be less than
perfect, there is only a four-minute window in which to correct the tempera-
ture for the remainder of the baking.
The current manual-based quality assurance technique checking a sample
hourly and adjusting the oven temperature accordingly is slower to detect
changes in bun consistency, which can arise through such variables as ingredi-
ents, batches, shifts, or daily and seasonal temperature and humidity.
The prototype system also provides bakers with up-to-the-minute data re-
ports on such matters as bun shape and size, seed distribution and contamina-
tion. The buns can be in pans or on a conveyor belt of any color except the
color of the buns. The stainless steel system mounts to conveyor belts as wide
as 50 in.
Its the best thing to happen to buns since sesame seeds.
Caren B. Les
caren.les@photonics.com
A

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CONNECTING HIGH PERFORMANCE FIBER LASER & AMPLIFIER COMPONENTS

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