Blogs
In-Situ Particle Detection
In-Situ Particle Detection Research & Development In-Situ Particle Detection Presence/Absence Description Introduction:  Foreign particles in food stuffs, plant produce, grains, etc. can lead to customer dissatisfaction when the items are packaged for sale. In some cases — it can be dangerous. Opportunity:  A major cigarette producer contacted MTI Instruments requesting a system to detect extraneous material, metal, plastic, filter fiber, and other contaminants. Background:  A cigarette’s dielectric footprint is controlled by the tobacco packing density, moisture content and the type of tobacco leaf. - packing density is controlled by the [...]
Piezoelectric Stack Motion
Piezoelectric Stack Motion Research & Development Piezoelectric Stack Motion Displacement Description Fotonic sensors are ideal for making dynamic measurement of very small oscillatory motions. Using the MTI-2100 with a spectrum analyzer, angstrom level measurements are possible. Would you like to know more? Okay let’s set up some basic equipment and get started. Piezoelectric crystals expand and contract when voltage is applied across the stack. By controlling the amplitude of the applied signal we control the magnitude of the displacement. The test setup A Spectrum Analyzer A Signal Generator to drive piezo device [...]
Thickness and TTV of Semiconducting Wafers
Thickness and TTV of Semiconducting Wafers Semiconductor Thickness And TTV Of Semiconducting Wafers Thickness Description Introduction:  Silicon wafers are ordinarily highly conductive and easy to measure with standard capacitive displacement sensors (See MTI’s Proforma 300i). Measuring the thickness of GaAs wafers that have high bulk resistivity (>10k Ohm/cm) is a little more difficult because the wafers act as non-conductive insulators in a capacitive sensors measuring field. Fortunately, MTI has a solution to this problem. Solution:  It’s possible to measure the thickness and TTV of high resistivity semiconducting wafers (like GaAs) [...]
Lithography Optics Position Focus
Lithography Optics Position Focus Semiconductor Lithography Optics Position Focus Positioning Description One specific area where capacitance systems excel is high resolution focusing of complex lens systems such as those found in atomic force microscopes, vision inspection machines and photolithography tools. In a multi-million dollar photolithography tool, high accuracy, nanometer resolution and maximum thermal stability are absolutely critical to maintain proper focus and obtain integrated circuit line widths as small as 45 nanometers. Additionally, most systems demand low power consumption and maximum heat dissipation to eliminate any adverse affects from temperature [...]
Using Laser Technology to Detect Fatigue Cracks
Using Laser Technology to Detect Fatigue Cracks Aviation/ Aerospace Jet Turbine Blade Vibration Amplitude Description In order to simulate real world conditions turbine blades are vibrated in a sound chamber at a variety of elevated temperatures. A siren directs a blast of pulsed air at the leading edge of the turbine blade creating a tremendous amount of force. This force excites the turbine blade at its resonant frequency, inducing strain in the blade structure. To accurately monitor vibration amplitude and frequency, a non-contact measurement sensor is required. Non-contact eliminates any “mass [...]
Push-Pull Capacitance Sensor Measures Ungrounded Targets
Push-Pull Capacitance Sensor Measures Ungrounded Targets Solar, Semiconductor Measurement of Ungrounded Targets Thickness, Metrology Description [Application Note 50318] Today’s semiconductor and solar industries drive the demand for thinner wafers to conserve silicon and fulfill new IC applications. To meet this demand, wafer fabricators seek greater dimensional control of their silicon products. Non-contacting capacitance sensors offer the precision, accuracy, and speed needed to measure flatness, thickness variation, and other critical dimensions. Typically, the standard capacitance sensor acts as one plate of a classical two-plate capacitive gap measurement scenario. The grounded target [...]
Portable Vibration/Balancing System Simplifies Jet Engine Testing
Portable Vibration/Balancing System Simplifies Jet Engine Testing Aviation/Aerospace, Power Generation Jet Engine Testing Amplitude Description [Application Note 32818-2] Overall gas turbine engine vibration may be considered the summation of vibration contributions from various moving parts within the engine. The ability to correlate vibration magnitude with specific moving parts helps engineers ascertain and correct the sources of vibration. Problem Commercial and military aviation rely on vibration analysis and trim balancing to establish such correlations. Vibration analysis detects discrepancies in rotational machine dynamics; trim balancing is used to reduce vibration amplitudes of [...]
Gap Monitor Keeps Wind Turbines Running
Gap Monitor Keeps Wind Turbines Running Power Generation Wind Turbine Gap Monitoring Distance, Gap, Tolerance Description [Application Note 21218] Wind turbine production has been steadily increasing to meet growing demand for renewable energy. As power outputs and the number of installations climb, maintenance becomes ever more critical. Operators want to minimize downtime and protect against catastrophic failure. The ability to predict when maintenance will be required can go a long way to ensure these goals are met. Gap monitoring sensors from MTI Instruments help wind turbine operators predict impending [...]
Tire Tread Measurement with 2D Laser
Tire Tread Measurement with 2D Laser Automotive Tire Tread Measurement with 2D Laser Depth Description To ensure customer safety and extend product life, tire manufacturers are moving to 100% tire inspection. This QTM strategy includes tread depth measurement and defect detection. Shallow tread depths shorten service life while defects such as blistering, bubbles, and overlapping belts can lead to runout, road noise, vehicle suspension vibration or worse – catastrophic failure. Problem Many of today’s all-season tires feature asymmetrical tire tread patterns. Designed to meet the conflicting requirements for dry grip [...]
Camera Shield Measurement
Camera Shield Measurement Consumer Electronics Camera shield measurement Surface Equipment Setup Equipment Used DTS-25-04 laser head Rotary Stage PC with Digital Microtrak Basic Support software Setup: Power is automatic mode. Filter is 100Hz Sample rate is 1000 samples sec The head was operated in diffuse mode (not specular/tilted) Validation of Setup The setup should be validated by performing a total runout scan on the rotary stage with no target present. The stage should be cleaned with Isopropyl alcohol and allowed to dry prior to the scan. This reduces any dust [...]