TeraView at SEMICON Taiwan

TeraView will be exhibiting at this year's SEMICON Taiwan. The event will take place between September 7-9 in Taipei, Taiwan.

We will be showcasing our latest product, the EOTPR 5000.

"TeraView’s proprietary Electro Optical Terahertz Pulse Reflectometry (EOTPR) technology provides a 5 micron resolution capability in isolating faults within advanced integrated circuits for mobile phones and computing, including complex packages such as Package on Package (PoP), flip chip, and 3D package with Through Silicon Vias (TSVs). EOTPR has been widely accepted by advanced IC package failure analysis community, and this technology is ready to be deployed in the high volume manufacturing environment for quality assurance inspection."

For further information on the event, please visit the webpage here.

 

EOTPR 5000 launches at SEMICON West, USA.

This year's SEMICON West event in San Francisco saw the launch of our fully automated integrated circuit (IC) package inspection system, the EOTPR 5000.

Building on the success of the EOTPR 2000 which has an established track record in the industry for rapid fault isolation and manual inspection, the EOTPR 5000 is a fully automated advanced IC package inspection system that utilizes TeraView’s proprietary EOTPR terahertz technology to detect weak or marginal interconnect quality in high volume manufacturing environments, which no other technology can detect today.

Don Arnone, TeraView CEO, spoke to Philip Stoten of EMSNowTV (above) to discuss what drove the technology and how it is currently being deployed.

European Technical Coatings Congress 2016

TeraView’s Dr Robert May will be giving a poster presentation at this years European Technical Coatings Congress on the subject of TeraView’s new Non-Contact, Multi-Layer Coating & Thickness Sensor.

The sensor can determine the individual thickness of multiple paint layers on both metallic and non-metallic substrates and offers significant benefits over existing techniques, representing a significant leap beyond the current method of measurement for quality and process control in automotive paint application. See our product page for more information.

The poster presentations will be held on 26 May, 12.30-14.00, with the conference itself running from 25-26 May at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre (NEC), UK.

More details on the conference can be found here.

Terahertz session at CLEO 2016

Invited speakers at the terahertz session at CLEO 2016

S&I 5: Terahertz Technologies and Applications

Tyler Cocker, Univ. of Regensburg, Germany
Taking sub-cycle THz nanoscopy to the Limits

Michael  Johnston, Univ. of Oxford, UK
Understanding Charge Dynamics in Perovskite Semiconductors using Non-contact THz Probes

Jaime Gomez Rivas, Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research (DIFFER); Eindhoven Univ. of Tech, The Netherlands, Netherlands
THz metamaterials and metasurfaces

Miriam Vitiello, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Italy
Efficient Room-tempareture Terahertz Nano-detectors based on Novel 2D Materials

Enhanced Terahertz Imaging of Small Forced Delamination in Woven Glass Fibre-reinforced Composites with Wavelet De-noising

Abstract

Terahertz (THz) reflection imaging is applied to characterize a woven glass fibre-reinforced composite laminate with a small region of forced delamination. The forced delamination is created by inserting a disk of 25- μ m-thick Upilex film, which is below the THz axial resolution, resulting in one featured echo with small amplitude in the reflected THz pulses. Low-amplitude components of the temporal signal due to ambient water vapor produce features of comparable amplitude with features associated with the THz pulse reflected off the interfaces of the delamination and suppress the contrast of THz C- and B-scans. Wavelet shrinkage de-noising is performed to remove water-vapor features, leading to enhanced THz C- and B-scans to locate the delamination in three dimensions with high contrast.

Link to article

Quad-band THz frequency selective surface based on a split ring resonator loaded with multiple slots

Abstract

A quad-band terahertz (THz) frequency selective surface with bandstop response is designed, fabricated, and characterized. The unit cell of the filter consists of a split ring resonator (SRR) and surrounding four groups of slots. Each group of slots has three slots with different lengths. The lowest frequency band is determined by the resonance of the SRR and the other three upper bands are selected by the resonance of the slots which exhibit bandstop characteristics rather than bandpass characteristics. The filter transformation characteristic originates from the slits placed between the unit cells which act as series-connected capacitive components. The fabricated quad-band THz filters exhibited bandstop characteristics with attenuation higher than 20 dB in all the operating frequency bands.

The quad-band FSSs were characterized using TeraView's time domain spectroscopy system - the TPS Spectra 3000.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09205071.2015.1053576

Properties of two-component nematic liquid crystal mixtures in the range of 0.3–3.0 THz

TeraView's TPS Spectra 3000 was used to investigate nematic liquid crystals in the range of 0.3–3.0 THz.


http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02678292.2015.1036816#.VYvdFvlViko


Abstract

In this work, we present the results of terahertz measurements of five nematic liquid crystal materials. Optical properties like refractive indices, birefringence and absorption coefficients of liquid crystals (LCs) for ordinary and extraordinary polarisation were compared. The aim of this study was to check the impact of the structure of LC molecules on above properties. The compounds with different core structure and various number of laterally substituted fluorine atoms were chosen. A standard terahertz Time-Domain Spectrometer to measurements from 0.3 THz to 3 THz was used.

TeraView TPS 3000 unit for time domain spectroscopy was used to investigate spectral properties of nematic liquid crystal mixtures

Article

Spectral Properties of Nematic Liquid Crystal Mixtures Composed with Long and Short Molecules in THz Frequency Range

ABSTRACT In this paper the influence of short and long molecules added to liquid crystal
6CHBT were investigated. Change of refractive indices and absorption coefficients
for 6CHBT mixtures were compared in the 0.3 - 3 THz frequency range. Influence of
temperature on the mentioned parameters of liquid crystal were investigated. Our study
show that even a slight change in shape and the composition of the molecules dopants
affects the macroscopic properties of liquid crystal. These properties depend on the
length of chains, the number of benzene or cyclohexane rings or the spatial distribution
of molecules and the interactions between them in the liquid crystal mixture. Spectra
measurements on the terahertz time-domain spectrometer were performed.
Spectral Properties of Nematic Liquid Crystal Mixtures Composed with Long and Short Molecules in THz Frequency Range (PDF Download Available). Available from: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/235218799_Spectral_Properties_of_Nematic_Liquid_Crystal_Mixtures_Composed_with_Long_and_Short_Molecules_in_THz_Frequency_Range [accessed Jun 23, 2015].

TeraView at IRMMW-THz 2015

TeraView invites you to visit us at IRMMW-THz 2015!

"Since 2000, the IRMMW-THz conference series has alternated between Asia, Europe and America on a continuous three year cycle. In 2015, the conference returns to the Asian leg, and will be held in Hong Kong for the first time from August 23 to 28 at the Chinese University of Hong Kong."


TeraView's CEO, Dr. Don Arnone will be in attendance for the event and will be one of the plenary speakers.


TeraView's Dr. Philip Taday will also be attending the event, and will be demonstrating TeraView's flagship instrument, the TeraPulse 4000 in our booth over.


If you would like to pre-arrange a meeting, or a chance to view a demonstration of the TeraPulse 4000, please e-mail Dr. Phil Taday at philip.taday@teraview.com.

Impact of Processing Conditions on Inter-tablet Coating Thickness Variations Measured by Terahertz In-Line Sensing

HUNGYEN LIN, ROBERT K. MAY, MICHAEL J. EVANS, SHUNCONG ZHONG, LYNN F. GLADDEN, YAOCHUN SHEN,

J. AXEL ZEITLER

Abstract

A novel in-line technique utilising pulsed terahertz radiation for directmeasurement of the film coating thickness of individual tablets during the coating process was previously developed and demonstrated on a production-scale coater. Here, we use this technique to monitor the evolution of tablet film coating thickness and its inter-tablet variability during the coating process under a number of different

process conditions that have been purposefully induced in the production-scale coating process. The changes that were introduced to the coating process include removing the baffles from the coater, adding uncoated tablets to the running process, halting the drum, blockage of spray guns and changes to the spray rate. The terahertz sensor was able to pick up the resulting changes in average coating thickness in the coating drum and we report the impact of these process changes on the resulting coating quality. C⃝ 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci

This study was performed using TeraView's Spectra 3000 system. (TeraView, Cambridge, UK)

Full Article: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jps.24503/full

Photonics West - Call for Papers

This conference brings together researchers and engineers from academia, industry, and government laboratories to explore and present work in the frequency range covering approximately less than 1 GHz (300 mm) to greater than 3 THz (100 μm). Papers on RF and millimeter technology including advances in wireless communications, radar, lidar, microwave and mm-wave photonics, metamaterials, antennas, phased array radar, modulation, security, monitoring, detection, imaging are encouraged. Papers in photonic-related fields including, but not limited to, radio over fiber (RoF) RF photonics including photonic generation of microwave signals, photonic processing of microwave signals, and photonic distribution of microwave signals and semiconductor (including Si, SiC, SOI, GaAs, GaN, InP, SiGe, diamond, graphene and other materials) RF, mm-wave and terahertz devices and related applications are also encouraged, as well as the hybrid photonic systems and applications. Terahertz (THz) technology deals with the generation and utilization of electromagnetic energy covering what is also known as the sub-millimeter wave region of the spectrum. In this region, which lies between the millimeter wave and far infrared spectral regions, materials exhibit properties that can be exploited to advantage for use over a broad range of important technologies and applications. Papers on terahertz photonics including photonic generation and detection of terahertz waves, THz lasers are also encouraged.

Abstracts are due on the 3rd of August 2015, and papers are solicited in the following areas: 

• Terahertz sources
• RF, sub-millimeter-wave and millimeter-wave sources
• Detectors
• High-power sources, modules, and systems
• Terahertz, RF, millimeter-wave, and sub-millimeter-wave passive components
• Materials for THz and GHz devices
• Enhancements, improvements and advances in RF, millimeter-wave and sub-millimeter wave generation, modulation and detection
• Simulations and modeling
• Spectroscopy
• Biomedical applications
• Communication and sensing systems
• Imaging and security
• Astronomy and space and other areas of photonics, light, and matter
• Innovations
• Power supplies and electronic power conditioners
• Organic electronics

For more information please visit http://spie.org/PWO/conferencedetails/thz-rf-mm-submm-wave-technology

An Effective Method for Substance Detection Using the Broad Spectrum THz Signal with a “Terahertz Nose”

Vyacheslav A. Trofimov  and Svetlana A. Varentsova 

Abstract

We propose an effective method for the detection and identification of dangerous substances by using the broadband THz pulse. This pulse excites, for example, many vibrational or rotational energy levels of molecules simultaneously. By analyzing the time-dependent spectrum of the THz pulse transmitted through or reflected from a substance, we follow the average response spectrum dynamics. Comparing the absorption and emission spectrum dynamics of a substance under analysis with the corresponding data for a standard substance, one can detect and identify the substance under real conditions taking into account the influence of packing material, water vapor and substance surface. For quality assessment of the standard substance detection in the signal under analysis, we propose time-dependent integral correlation criteria. Restrictions of usually used detection and identification methods, based on a comparison between the absorption frequencies of a substance under analysis and a standard substance, are demonstrated using a physical experiment with paper napkins. 

Full Article: http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar_url?url=http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/15/6/12103/pdf&hl=en&sa=X&scisig=AAGBfm1LSPK_lrl8QysLaqcq1c3X8gkORg&nossl=1&oi=scholaralrt

Careers at TeraView!

TeraView Ltd. are currently recruiting for a range of exciting new roles within the company! 

TeraView offers an excellent salary and benefits package, along with the opportunity for highly-motivated staff to work together and shape the development of products in one of the newest and most exciting areas of technology. 

For all the information you need on the wide range of roles TeraView are currently recruiting for, please visit our careers page at: http://www.teraview.com/about/careers-jobs.html

Current vacancies at TeraView

• Financial Controller 
• Instrument Assembly Technician 
• Mechanical Design Engineer 
• Product Manager 
• Software Developer 
• Software Developer Team Leader

Company Overview

TeraView Ltd is the world’s first and leading provider of Terahertz solutions to Fortune 500 companies, in a variety of industries. TeraView’s advanced portfolio of Terahertz applications knowledge, system design, product range and intellectual property (63 patents granted) is unrivalled in breadth and depth.  There now exists an unprecedented opportunity to exploit this first mover advantage in select, commercially validated markets, to establish a commercially dominant position in this last unconquered region of the electromagnetic spectrum. 

TeraView’s vision is to establish Terahertz as the premier imaging tool for the 21st century, comparable to the enormous success of X-Ray the latter half of the last century, and more recently ultrasound. Ultrasound progressed from research to become an extensively used tool in inspection and other applications, as a result of technological advances similar to those now transforming Terahertz. The current ultrasound market is valued at close to $3.2B per annum, and has an annual growth rate of 30% +.

A Design of Terahertz Broadband Filters and Its Effect in Eliminating Asymmetric Characteristics in Device Structures

Zhu, M. ; Lee, C.

Abstract

We report a straightforward way to design and fabricate polarization-insensitive broadband bandstop filters in terahertz range by fabricating identical metal patterns on both sides of a dielectric substrate with one layer rotated 90o to the other. The unit cells used in such designs are the well-studied split-ring-resonators, hence the frequency range of the stop band can be easily tuned by varying the dimensions of the unit cell structures. Through simulation analysis, we show that such fabrication method requires no alignment in lithography step and works with common dielectric substrates. Two types of substrates, 1 mm-thick quartz and 100 μm-thick polyethylene terephthalate, were used as a demonstration. The transmission level stayed below 12% for a stopband of 0.42 THz frequency range. Lastly, we reasoned with simulation results that the proposed broadband filters give consistent performance regardless of the gap location in the unit cell, which will further extend their use in practical applications.

This study was performed using TeraView's Spectra 3000 system. (TeraView, Cambridge, UK)

Full Article: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/abstractAuthors.jsp?tp=&arnumber=7105824&url=http%3A%2F%2Fieeexplore.ieee.org%2Fxpls%2Fabs_all.jsp%3Farnumber%3D7105824

Computationally Assisted (Solid-State Density Functional Theory) Structural (X-ray) and Vibrational Spectroscopy (FT-IR, FT-RS, TDs-THz) Characterization of the Cardiovascular Drug Lacidipine

Kacper Drużbicki, Jadwiga Mielcarek, Anna Kiwilsza, Loic Toupet, Eric Collet, Aleksandra Pajzderska, and Jan Wąsicki

Abstract

The structural properties of a second-generation dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, lacidipine, were explored by combining low-temperature X-ray diffraction with optical vibrational spectroscopy and periodic density functional theory (PBC DFT) calculations. Crystallographic analysis cannot discriminate between two possible molecular symmetries in crystals made of pure lacipidine: the space group Ama2, where the lacipidine molecule lies on mirror symmetry, or a Cc space group with distorted lacipidine molecules. Intermolecular interactions analysis reveals an infinite net of moderate-strength N–H···O hydrogen-bonds, which link the molecular units toward the crystallographic b-axis. Weak interactions were identified, revealing their role in stabilization of the crystal structure. The vibrational dynamics of lacidipine was thoroughly explored by combining infrared and Raman spectroscopy in the middle- and low-wavenumber range. The given interpretation was fully supported by state-of-the-art solid-state density functional theory calculations (plane-wave DFT), giving deep insight into the vibrational response and providing a complex assignment of spectral features. The vibrational analysis was extended onto the lattice-phonon range by employing time-domain terahertz spectroscopy. Analysis of the anisotropic displacement parameters suggests noticeable dynamics of the terminal (tert-butoxycarbonyl)vinyl moiety. The terahertz study provides direct experimental evidence of “crankshaft” type motions in the terminal chain. By combining low-wavenumber vibrational spectroscopy with the first-principles calculations, we were able to prove that the quoted thermodynamically stable phase corresponds to the monoclinic Cc space group.

This study was performed using TeraView's Spectra 3000 system. (TeraView, Cambridge, UK)

Full Article: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.cgd.5b00251

Experimental (X-Ray, IR, RS, INS, THz) and Solid-State DFT Study on (1:1) Co-crystal of Bromanilic Acid and 2,6-Dimethylpyrazine

Katarzyna Łuczyńska , Kacper Drużbicki , Krzysztof Lyczko , and Jan Czeslaw Dobrowolski

Abstract

A combined structural, vibrational spectroscopy and solid-state DFT study of hydrogen-bonded complex of bromanilic acid with 2,6-dimethylpyrazine is reported. The crystallographic structure was determined by means of low-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction, which reveals the molecular units in their native protonation states, forming one-dimensional infinite nets of moderate-strength O∙∙∙H-N hydrogen bonds. The nature of the crystallographic forces, stabilizing the studied structure, has been drawn by employing the non-covalent interactions analysis. It was found that in addition to the hydrogen bonding, the intermolecular forces are dominated by stacking interactions and C-H∙∙∙O contacts. The thermal and calorimetric analysis was employed to probe stability of the crystal phase. The structural analysis was further supported by computationally assisted 13C CP/MAS NMR study, providing a complete assignment of the recorded resonances. The vibrational dynamics was explored by combining the optical (IR, Raman, TDs-THz) and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) spectroscopy techniques with the state-of-the-art solid-state density functional theory (DFT) computations. Despite of quasi-harmonic approximation assumed throughout the study, an excellent agreement between the theoretical and experimental data was achieved over the entire spectral range, allowing for deep and possibly thorough understanding of the vibrational characteristics of the system. Particularly, the significant influence of the long-range dipole coupling on the IR spectrum has been revealed. Based on a wealth of information gathered, the recent implementation of dispersion-corrected linear-response scheme has been extensively examined.

This study was performed using TeraView's Spectra 3000 system. (TeraView, Cambridge, UK)

Full Article: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b03279

Passive imaging of concealed objects in terahertz and long-wavelength infrared

Marcin Kowalski, Mariusz Kastek, Michal Walczakowski, Norbert Palka, and Mieczyslaw Szustakowski

Abstract

Terahertz and infrared radiation have unique properties applicable to the field of surveillance and security systems. We investigated the possibility of detecting potentially dangerous objects covered by various types of clothing using passive imagers operating at 1.2 mm (250 GHz) and long-wavelength infrared at 6–15 μm (20–50 THz). We developed a measurement methodology that assumes to investigate theoretical limitations, performance of imagers, and physical properties of fabrics. To evaluate stability of the detection capabilities of imagers, we performed measurement sessions each lasting 30 min. We present a theoretical comparison of the two spectra and results of experiments using state-of-the-art equipment.

This study was performed using TeraView's Spectra 3000 system. (TeraView, Cambridge, UK)

Full Article: http://www.opticsinfobase.org/ao/abstract.cfm?uri=ao-54-13-3826

Don’t Miss the Impressive Line-up at the CLEO Plenary Session

Monday Plenary Session

Eric Betzig, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA

Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry 2014

Imaging Life at High Spatiotemporal Resolution

Tony Heinz, Columbia University, USA

Electrons in Atomically Thin Two-dimensional Crystals

Stephan W. Hell, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Germany

Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry 2014

Nanoscopy with Focused Light

W. E. Moerner, Stanford University, USA

Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry 2014

Foundations of Super-Resolution Microscopy

Tuesday Plenary Session

Hiroshi Amano, Nagoya University, Japan

Nobel Prize Winner in Physics 2014

Current and Future of Solid State Lighting

Steven Chu, Stanford University, USA

Nobel Prize Winner in Physics 1997

Microscopy 2.0

Wednesday International Year of Light Plenary Session

Shuji Nakamura, University of California Santa Barbara, USA

Nobel Prize Winner in Physics 2014

Energy Savings by LED Lighting

Miles Padgett, University of Glasgow Scotland, UK

Light’s Twist

Continuously tunable and fast-response terahertz metamaterials using in-plane switching dual-frequency liquid crystal cells

Chia-Yi Huang, Chia-Chun Chen, Wei-Fan Chiang, Min-Cheng Tsai, Shun-An Jiang, Tsung-Hao Chang, and Song-Hang Wang

Abstract

A metamaterial that is embedded into an in-plane switching dual-frequency liquid crystal cell is used to develop an electrically controllable terahertz metamaterial. The resonance peak of the metamaterial can be redshifted and blueshifted as the frequency of an external voltage is switched, and the response times for the redshift and blueshift are 1.044 ms and 1.376 ms, respectively. A simulation confirms the spectral redshift and blueshift. The variation in the peak frequency as a function of applied frequency at the external voltage is presented. Experimental results show that the resonance peak of the metamaterial can be continuously tuned within a frequency range of 15 GHz as the applied frequency is switched between 19 kHz and 22 kHz. Therefore, this metamaterial is a continuously tunable and fast-response terahertz filter and could be used for terahertz imaging and terahertz telecommunications.

This study was performed using TeraView's Spectra 3000 system. (TeraView, Cambridge, UK)

Full Article: http://www.opticsinfobase.org/ol/upcoming_pdf.cfm?id=235253

Comparison of damage behaviour of different plant fibre composites under laser impact loading

F. Touchard, L. Berthe, P. Malinowski, S. Opoka, M. Boustie, L. Chocinski-Arnault and W. Ostachowicz

Abstract

The high strain rate behaviour of the eco-composites, when submitted to laser impact loading, is not well known yet. Crucial questions are still open: influence of plant fiber length and distribution on the composite impact behaviour, types of damage induced by impact loading, the way the failure occurs, etc. We present the very first results of a collaborative research involving the institutions PPRIME- Poitiers and PIMM-Paris, and IMP PAN-Gdansk-Poland. A comparison of laser shock induced damage is realised, based on observations of sample back faces for several types of eco-composites. Spallation, residual blister and inside delamination, depending on the fibre length in tested composites have been observed. The ability of the Terahertz technique for internal damage detection is demonstrated.

This study was performed using TeraView's Spectra 3000 system. (TeraView, Cambridge, UK)

Full Article: http://www.mattech-journal.org/articles/mattech/abs/2015/01/mt150022/mt150022.html