Trikon Technologies recently added a camera and image analysis software to its Leica MZ12 stereomicroscope. A materials workstation and additional software for particle sizing has proved invaluable for inspecting the consistency of the gas distribution showerheads used in the processes for chemical vapor deposition (CVD). "Although we've had the microscope a while, new image analysis software has made a tremendous difference to our quality control," said Mark Jones, CVD equipment manager at Trikon. "The showerheads have a very large number of small holes -- from 15 microns in diameter upwards -- and we needed to be sure that they were being manufactured with high precision. The image analysis software looks at the roundness of the holes, precisely measures a whole sequence and inspects the surfaces, which is important because the reactions are surface dependent."

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