Sensofar Metrology is one of two divisions of the Sensofar group, based in Barcelona, Spain, an innovation and technology hub. Sensofar Metrology is renowned for its:
- High-end, non-contact, 3D surface profilers based on complementary confocal, interferometry, focus variation and spectroscopy reflectometer techniques;
- Consultancy within the field of metrology;
- Advanced R&D generating patented technologies contributing to hundreds of surface metrology applications worldwide.
Non-contact 3D surface metrology
3D surface metrology is the measurement and characterization of micro- and nano-scale features on natural or manufactured surfaces. This is done efficiently by capturing the 3D spatial coordinates of points on a surface using a non-destructive optical technique.
Surface topography at the nanometer level
Optical surface profilers have crucial advantages over tactile approaches:
- Measurement is non-contact, so there’s no damage to the object being measured;
- Optical techniques can measure through transparent media, are fast and flexible, and yield 3D (areal) results;
- Measurement performance depends on wavelength and numerical aperture, eliminating limitations caused by the physical size of a stylus tip.
The most common optical techniques available are confocal, interferometry and focus variation, each of these has their own strengths and weaknesses.
Superior vertical resolution with confocal
Confocal: Confocal profilers measure the surface height of smooth to very rough surfaces, with spatial sampling as low as 0.10 μm—ideal for critical dimension measurements. High NA (0.95) and high magnification (150X) objectives are available to measure steep local slopes >70° on smooth surfaces with and up to 86° on rough surfaces. Sensofar’s proprietary confocal algorithms provide vertical repeatability on the nm scale.
Interferometry: White-light vertical scanning interferometers (VSI) measure the surface height of smooth to moderately rough surfaces, providing nm vertical resolution regardless of the NA. Sensofar’s new S neox optical 3D profiling microscope can use all available magnifications to profile shape features with no compromise in height resolution.
Focus variation: Focus variation has been developed for measuring the shape of large rough surfaces. Sensofar’s implementation of this approach has been specifically designed to complement confocal measurements at low magnification. Highlights of the technology include high slope surfaces (up to 86°), highest measurement speeds (mm/s) and large vertical range. This combination of features is largely suited to tooling applications.
Sensofar Metrology products
New S neox: The new S neox optical 3D profiling microscope outperforms all previous microscopes of its kind in terms of performance, functionality, efficiency and design. It combines all three of the above techniques: confocal (best for surfaces with high slopes), interferometry (highest vertical resolution) and focus variation (measures shape in seconds). The S neox does all this in the same sensor head without any moving parts. The S neox delivers three-in-one technologies for class-leading areal measurement.
S neox helps in archaeological study of an ancient rock drawing
S neox Five Axis: The S neox Five Axis S measures samples at different positions of rotation and elevation,thereby generating a group of individual measurements. The SensoFIVE software merges all of the surfaces, providing a sample surface with high accuracy by using the stacked image information of each single surface measurement. Merging different elevations, the system can provide shape and form information on sharp edges and/or critical surfaces.
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