Press Releases

19 February 2008 

Zygo Corporation has announced its next-generation of leading 3D Optical Profilers, the NewView™ 7000-series. These products are designed for rapid, precise, and quantitative surface metrology for the production and scientific research markets.

Available in two platforms - the 7300 and 7200 -the NewView™ 7000-series sets a new industry benchmark with significant gains in performance.  

Based on proprietary scanning technology, the NewView™ 7000 delivers leading precision sub-nanometer z-resolution with the highest speed in its class. New enhancements include an ultra high-speed scanner with improved linearity, improved signal to noise ratio, increased illumination output, next-generation electronics with encoded stages, and a new suite of machine vision tools. With its unique combination of advanced performance features, precision and flexibility, the NewView™ 7000-series delivers optimal value making it one of the most advanced 3D optical metrology instrument available today for production and research.

Zygo optical metrology tools are available in the UK and Ireland through Zygo’s exclusive distributor, Lambda Photometrics Ltd a leading supplier of cutting edge technology for the scientific, industrial and academic markets. Click here to request more information

27 March 2008

We are pleased to announce the arrival of the Opotek IR Opolette 100 Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO) pumped by the Quantel Centurion 100Hz diode pumped Nd:YAG laser which would be particularly suitable for IR MALDI applications at 2.94µm.

The new IR Opolette 100 employs KTP crystals for the wavelength range 2.6-3.2µm and offers a pulse energy of >0.8mJ across this range at 100Hz (~1.1mJ at 2.94µm); see tuning curve. By comparison Opotek also has another ultra compact standard system using KTP crystals pumped by Quantel USA’s Ultra 20Hz laser which offers >1.5mJ at 2.94µm; see tuning curve.

IR Opolette 100

IR Opolette tuning curve

Since MALDI-TOF applications also require samples to be illuminated in the UV, it is possible to add a UV option which will enable the user to access the 355nm output (>5.5mJ) from Opotek’s third harmonic module pumped with the residual 1064nm having pumped the OPO. The IR and UV are generated simultaneously though accessed separately; whilst operating in the IR the Second Harmonic Generator should be dephased in order to minimize residual background (phase matching adjustments available). It is simple to interchange between IR and UV beams.

All Opotek’s products are fully automated, reliable, flexible as well as easy to use and maintain. They are based on patented OPO designs and supplied with a control program that enables tuning from a computer via USB. The compactness of the Opolette system has been further improved now that the ULTRA pump utilises Quantel’s new ICE 450 compact, portable, easy-to-use power supply with detachable cables (at laser head and electronics) which can be used vertically or horizontally.  

Top: The new IR Opolette 100

Right: Layout of the New IR Opolette 100

Bottom: Opotek’s IR Opolette with the new compact ICE 450

Please contact Preetesh Mistry, by email or on 01582 764334 for further information regarding the Opotek IR Opolette 100.

13 July 2007  

We are pleased to announce several technical advancements in the Lasos portfolio of Laser Diode Modules and Diode Pumped Solid State (DPSS) lasers used in confocal microscopy, flow cytometry and cell sorting applications.

The model VLK 0520 F (20mW at 408nm) and RLK 6040 F(40mW at 660nm) are new members of the LasNova-series 10/20 laser diode modules with integrated fibre coupling into Single Mode Polarization Maintaining (SM PM) fibre, and built into the same size package as our compact DPSS lasers. The pigtailed fibre coupling has a robust design, ensures long term stability of the laser output parameters and will give you the flexibility of being able to position the laser head remotely to your experiment.

Lasos can offer various options for the output connector, e.g. FC/PC or FC Ferrule and a collimated output beam for the red module. The laser can be modulated with an analogue input of up to 20MHz and with a digital input up to 100 MHz. We can also offer other models at 445nm, 473nm, 635nm and 680nm. Free-space versions of Lasos’ laser diode modules will be released later this year. 

The YLK 6150 T yellow DPSS laser with 50mW at 561nm is a new member of the LasNova 60 series and a significant improvement on the 20mW previously offered. The laser exhibits excellent beam quality (M2 ~ 1.2), output power stability (+/- 2% over 8 hours) and <0.5% rms noise (30Hz…100MHz) making this laser the best choice for fluorescence-driven imaging devices.

Lasos are offering this significantly higher power laser to compensate for fibre-coupling losses or optical throughput inefficiencies in the field of laser scanning microscopy and imaging devices.

Lasos have a long history in supplying gas lasers for many applications such as Printing, Medical, Biotechnology, Metrology, Holography and Barcode scanning. For example, Lasos manufacture extremely high specification and stable HeNe lasers with laser lifetimes of >20,000 hours, very good beam quality (M2 typically 1.1), <0.5% rms noise (30Hz…..10MHz), power stability (< +/- 5% , 8 hours after warm-up) and minimal angular drift as a function of temperature (0.05 mrad/ °C). Lasos’ universal fibre-coupling solution can be used with all their gas and solid state lasers, has high coupling efficiency (>70%) will not need to be realigned in the field.

Click here to request more information

19 July 2007  

Available in the UK from Lambda Photometrics Ltd; Stanford Research QMS series atmospheric sampling systems offer an efficient, cost-effective solution for a wide range of gas sampling applications such as on-line process monitoring, gas analysis, leak detection, troubleshooting and much more.  

Key features:

• 100, 200 or 300 amu systems
• Pressures from 10 mbar to 1 bar
• Better than 1 amu resolution
• <0.5 second response time
• Compact, transportable design 6 decades of dynamic range
• RGA Windows software
• RS-232 computer interface
   

The QMS gas analyzer (mass spectrometer) is capable of sampling gases at pressures from above atmospheric to as low as 10 mbar. It uses a two-stage pressure reducing inlet to sample gases at high pressure and is integrated with a residual gas analyser (RGA) detector. The state-of-the-art vacuum pumped bypass flow design enables a fast response time of less than 0.5 seconds, from the tip of the capillary to the RGA chamber.

The QMS can continuously sample gases at low flow rate of several millilitres per minute, and data is acquired continuously to allow on-line monitoring; as opposed to batch sampling which is conventionally employed by gas chromatographs. The mass spectrometer has excellent resolution of better than 1 amu with a detection limit of less than 1 ppm, and 6-decades of dynamic range for partial pressure measurements.

The QMS system is available in mass ranges of 100, 200 and 300 amu. It is packaged in a compact unit and can be easily transported. System operation is straightforward and does not require a detailed understanding of the quadrupole mass spectrometer, vacuum pumps or the pressure reducing inlet. All QMS systems are supplied with a Windows based control and analysis software package with a user-friendly graphical user interface. For more advanced users, the probe parameters can be easily integrated into user controlled programs through an ASCII command set. A stand-alone partial pressure monitor is available as optional extra.

Click here to request more information

16th Feb 2007  

We are proud to be able to offer a high quality nitrogen laser, directly compatible with the Spectra Physics VSL-337i OEM (part# 337999-04), at an excellent price and with reliable 5 week delivery timescales.

• 337nm wavelength
• 170µJ pulse energy
• Internal or external triggering to 20Hz
• Replaceable laser cartridge
• No mirror alignment necessary
• Optional TTL level sync output pulse
• Fully compatible with VSL-337i OEM  

The NL100 Nitrogen laser from Stanford Research Systems (SRS) is ideal for fluorescence measurements, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometers and other pulsed UV experiments. It provides 3.5ns pulses at 337nm with repetition rates up to 20Hz. SRS typically deliver lasers with pulse energies of up to 200uJ (~160uJ after 20 million shots), with a peak power of >55 kW (45kW after 20 million shots) and average power of up to 4mW. Beam size is 3x7mm, and full angle beam divergence is 5x8mrad.

Internal or external triggering at rates of up to 20Hz is standard, and an optional output sync. pulse can be specified for experiments or systems where sub-nanosecond accuracy is critical.

The NL100 has a user replaceable, sealed laser cartridge, warranted to maintain at least 70% of its energy for 20 million pulses or 2 years, though tests have proven that this figure is more likely to be ~80%. No mirror alignment is ever necessary in the NL100 as the laser optics are mounted on the plasma tube and factory aligned.

Stanford Research have a world-class reputation in scientific instrumentation, and none of their products have been obsoleted. This means we can provide you with a secure on-going supply of high quality nitrogen lasers, and is the reason why a growing number of OEM customers are switching to the Stanford Research NL100.

Click here for more information   

24 Sep 2004  

A new range of large aperture beam expanders has just been introduced by Special Optics Inc.

The new products offer 100mm diffraction-limited clear output apertures with expansion ratios up to 40X from input apertures of 2.5mm to 20mm. The expanders have high transmission, low distortion can be specified at wavelengths from 450nm to 1650nm. Damage thresholds are up to 500MW/cm². These Galilean design expanders provide an adjustable focus for collimation at varying wavelengths. In addition to the standard products, Special Optics can customise these useful units to provide lower distortions, high transmission and different expansion ratios.

Special Optics manufacture a wide range of standard and customised products including beam expanders, scan lenses, objectives, waveplates and other polarisation sensitive products.

For further information about this release, please contact us

For more information on optical component products click here

28 Apr 2003  

The ZMI 501 and ZMI 4004 measurement electronics offer unmatched stage metrology for OEM applications.

ZMI 501

ZMI 501 is an enhanced measurement electronics platform designed for use with Zygo's successful ZMI 500 series of DMI (Displacement Measurement Interferometer) solutions. The system's new parallel data output format enables the user to obtain 1.24nm resolution with a 2-pass interferometer, while moving at velocities up to 500mm/sec. Four axes of displacement metrology can be measured using two ZMI 501 boards and the high power 7705 laser option (>350 mW).

High-speed data output features include quadrature, up/down pulses and parallel 32 bit. The platform accommodates 3U or 6U VME and stand alone interface options - in preference to more changeable PC based formats.

ZMI 501 is designed to provide cost effective stage metrology performance for OEMs. The system's higher velocity ensures increased throughput - with improved resolution resulting in better accuracy and repeatability. Compact design allows easier integration and a smaller footprint. Zygo's purpose-designed lasers have an expected lifetime of >50,000 hours - significantly reducing operating costs.

DMI solutions are already well established as the essential technology for improving stage position accuracy and control, since measurements are made at the plane of interest, effectively eliminating geometrical and parallax errors.

ZMI 4004 ZMI 4004 measurement board has been developed for highest performance applications such as lithography and calibration instrumentation, providing a 4-axis solution on a single 6U VME card - and requiring much reduced backplane space. Designed for use with Zygo's AOM based lasers, the board provides 0.15nm resolution and 2.55m/sec velocity with a 2-pass interferometer. Data age uncertainty is +/- 0.1nsec, providing unmatched dynamic accuracy and synchronization of all axes. DMI solutions are critical to ensuring accurate dynamic stage positioning during the lithography process, enabling significantly improved overlay and higher throughputs.

Further details of the ZMI range from Lambda Photometrics Limited call 01582 764334 or email or click here to go to the ZMI page  

18 Aug 2003

Lambda is pleased to introduce the new Pro Ultra LED controller from Schott, regulated constant current and variable intensity controller for machine vision applications.  

New feature of the Pro Ultra Controller is the auto-recognition of the lighthead. Depending on the respective LED-number and -color the operating voltage is selected and the maximum current limited. All standard lighthead are being operated with the same 24-volt power supply, which is delivered with the unit.

The light intensity can be continuously adjusted via the single-knob button, which also allows operation in overdrive mode up to 150 % light intensity. A front panel display indicates operating parameter and temperature conditions of the light head. If the user is alerted about high temperatures, he can adjust the light intensity and choose suitable cooling to optimize the lifetime of the lighthead.

The Pro Ultra Controller can be externally triggered with frequencies up to 100 Hz to further extend lifetime of the lighthead. It features a heavy-duty, grounded metal industrial housing with mounting holes on both sides of the unit.

For further information about this release, please contact Clive Phillips or Mark Bambrick on 01582 764334 or email

14 May 2004  

Stanford Research Systems have added to their extensive range of signal recovery products with the introduction of the SR240A and SR445A preamplifiers. The two products have almost identical specifications but differ in their physical presentation, the SR240 is a single width NIM module, the SR445A is a standalone laboratory bench instrument.

Both units have four independent channels each with a gain of 5x which may be cascaded to provide up to 624x gain. The rise/fall times of the amplifiers is 1ns, the input noise is a very low 6.4nV/ÖHz and the input and output impedance is 50ohms. The input impedance of channel one of the bench mounted model may be increased to 500ohms by a front panel switch. This can improve the sensitivity to signals from current and charge output devices such as photomultiplier tubes. Additionally, this unit has separate offset adjustments on each channel enabling the user to rapidly null DC errors. Input protection is provided against a ±50v signal for 1µs, recovery time from a 10x overload is 3ns. An output clamp of ±1.6v is installed with an output overload detection of ±1.3v. The input range specified is ±200mV with an output of 1v.

The fast rise time, low noise and excellent DC accuracy of the two amplifiers make them ideal instruments for use with photomultipliers and photodiodes. The SR240A is useful for amplifying small signals to levels that can be processed by other boxcar systems. The SR445A can be used to improve the sensitivity of oscilloscopes, photon counters, boxcar averages, spectrum analysers and other high frequency test equipment.

The Stanford SR240A and SR445A are exclusive distributed in the UK by the company’s UK representative Lambda Photometrics.

For more information contact Wing Ng or Preetesh Mistry at Lambda Photometrics Ltd on: 01582 764334 or email

25 May 2004  

De-Palletising of Cast Gearbox Housings

Gearbox housings are frequently delivered from a castings producer on pallets with little regard for their position or orientation. In a robotic unpacking and placing process the pick and place arm needs to recognise the correct place on the casting to position its grippers. A complete 3D profile scan of the part is required to determine both the position and orientation of the casting to place the robotic arm accurately. Faunhofer IPA of Stuttgart has added the 3D Ranger Scanning system from the Swedish company Integrated Vision Products to its pick and place robot to carry out processes of this type.

The IVP system utilises a low power laser which is scanned over the target area or, alternatively, the pallet holding the part may be moved through the beam. In either case a detector acquires the reflected signal from the casing's surface. The system can scan the part at rates of hundreds or thousands of scans per second quickly building up an accurate 3D profile of the part under examination. This can be compared to an ideal stored image of the part in the correct orientation with respect to the robot arm and instructions are fed to the robot to change the grabbing mechanisms to the correct position for picking up and placing correctly.

Further developments of the system include the selection and picking of parts from a randomly filled bin using the same technology.

Inspection and Control Adhesives

Adhesives are being used more widely in the automotive industry replacing rivets or screws for the fixing of many components. When the process is automated it is often difficult to dispense the correct amount of adhesive consistently or to form a continuous line of the substance due to changes in the delivery nozzle caused by residuals left there. Using 3D imaging, the IVP Range M50 vision inspection system can accurately measure the presence and both the height and width of the adhesive bead at high speeds to control the pump system delivering the material ensuring that the process continues within set limits.

The IVP 3D systems are able to detect parts presence, or monitor and measure complex parts at scan rates of several thousand scans per second for inspection and control in a wide range of applications.

For further information about this release, please contact Clive Phillips or Mark Bambrick on 01582 764334 or email