Following the successful completion of initial internal customer experience sessions at LASER World of PHOTONICS CHINA in Shanghai, Atometrics has officially launched its new flagship white light interferometer, the AM8000. This interferometer can perform sub-nanometer level measurements on the surfaces of various precision components and materials, acquiring 3D surface topography with a measurement accuracy of less than 1nm.

Across three key dimensions—application scenarios, intelligent operation, and measurement stability—the AM8000 fully benchmarks against flagship products from world-leading brands. This signifies that Chinese brands have achieved a breakthrough in core technologies within the high-precision white light interferometry field, and it can further propel China's intelligent manufacturing industry to continue breaking through core technological barriers, enhancing high-end supply capabilities, and supporting the construction of a manufacturing and quality powerhouse.

Compatibility with More Lenses and Measurement Samples

Meeting the Needs of Industries like Semiconductors and Precision Optics

Currently, domestic white light interferometers on the market mainly support short focal length, small field-of-view lenses. The Atometrics AM8000 supports adaptation to lenses with a wider range of magnifications. For instance, the 1X long focal length, large field-of-view lens offers a single field of view up to 18×11mm, effectively addressing the need for large-area measurements. Long focal length 5X and 10X lenses, with focal lengths of 40mm and 22mm respectively, enable measurements of samples with deep holes like fuel injector nozzles. This expanded lens compatibility allows the AM8000 to meet the measurement requirements of more specialized components. Additionally, the AM8000 features lens travel self-adaptation, ensuring that different lenses can be mounted without risk of colliding with the measurement object due to operational errors.

The AM8000 is equipped with a 4-degree-of-freedom direct-drive electric control stage. The maximum XY travel of the stage reaches 300mm, with a load capacity increased by 2.5 times, stitching speed improved by 30%, and positioning accuracy enhanced by 3 times. For a white light interferometer, accommodating samples of more specifications requires a larger stage travel, which often introduces uncertainty and can compromise accuracy. While achieving large travel, the AM8000's electric control stage maintains a motion straightness of ±1µm and an angular deviation of ≤5 arc-seconds. Furthermore, the AM8000 can be equipped with a rotary stage to meet the mapping measurement requirements for wafers.

Moreover, the AM8000 adds functions such as cyclic measurement, batch export of measurement reports, focus curves, and extracting/evaluating ROIs. It boasts over 300 measurement tools, including surface roughness measurement, profile analysis, texture direction analysis, particle analysis, and texture homogeneity evaluation, better fulfilling the application needs across various industries.

One-Click Focusing + Leveling

Improving Operational Efficiency by 7 Times

In white light interferometer operation, the most tedious and time-consuming steps are manual focusing and leveling. This often relies on engineer experience and raises the operational barrier for the instrument. The AM8000 introduces the "PreciTrack Fringe Auto-Focus" function. Engineers simply place the object and click for one-click focusing. The system completes focusing and locates interference fringes within 5 seconds, offering a 7-fold efficiency improvement over manual focusing. For leveling, the AM8000 pioneers the industry-first "EquiDrive Auto-Leveling" function, which completes leveling within 5 seconds, reducing the number of interference fringes in the measurement area to 1 or 0, achieving an 8-fold efficiency gain over manual leveling.

For large-sized component measurements, the AM8000 offers rich stitching modes such as square ring, circular, and circular ring. Engineers can directly input values to automatically generate the required stitching area. For batch measurement of samples, the AM8000 supports programmed multi-point measurements. Based on predefined sample positions, it automatically moves to each location for measurement, eliminating the need for manual sample placement each time.

The AM8000 also incorporates a controller module that integrates stage movement, light source adjustment, and focusing functions. Engineers can perform routine operations with a single click on the controller, potentially improving work efficiency by 50%.

Built-in Air Floatation + Low Center of Gravity Design

Vibration Isolation Stability Improved by 2.7 Times

As a precision measurement instrument, white light interferometers are susceptible to external vibrations or accidental contact, which can affect measurement results. Consequently, many organizations configure stable environments for their interferometers, significantly increasing the application threshold. Reducing environmental impact has become a key focus for leading global brands in improving device performance.

To address this challenge, the AM8000 adopts a built-in air flotation damping mechanism that encloses the entire vibration isolation system and worktable. Coupled with a proprietary low center of gravity design, it dramatically reduces the impact of environmental vibrations on the device. Tests show that the AM8000's vibration isolation stability is improved by 2.7 times, with RMS repeatability reaching 0.0041nm.

Furthermore, the AM8000 is configured with a 5000µm long-stroke piezoelectric ceramic actuator and a 5-megapixel high-speed camera. Paired with the industry-first SST + GAT algorithm and supporting both PSI (Phase-Shifting Interferometry) and VSI (Vertical Scanning Interferometry) modes, it enables instantaneous sub-nanometer data acquisition.

Currently, the AM8000 finds applications in fields such as new energy, automotive, 3C electronics, semiconductors, precision optics, micro-nano fabrication, medical devices, and tribology. Specific applications include surface roughness measurement of copper/aluminum foil, perovskite coating thickness measurement, photovoltaic grid line height measurement, gear surface roughness measurement, plough groove cross-sectional area measurement, precision polished surface roughness measurement, advanced packaging topography analysis, ceramic substrate step height/flatness measurement, ultra-smooth surface roughness measurement, microfluidic chip topography, implant topography/roughness, and intraocular lens topography/roughness.

Having achieved significant improvements in application scenarios, intelligent operation, and measurement stability, the AM8000 now fully benchmarks against flagship products from global top-tier brands. This also signifies that Chinese brands have achieved a core technological breakthrough in the field of high-precision white light interferometry, aiding China's intelligent manufacturing industry in overcoming foreign technological restrictions, enhancing high-end supply capabilities, and supporting the national goals of building a strong manufacturing and quality nation.