An Acoustic Microscope for Industrial Applications

Absfmct-The design and industrial applications of a Quate-Lemons scanning acoustic microscope are described. The microscope is based on a conventional optical microscope, and so comparisons between the two modes are easily made; the instrument is simple to set up and operates routinely in an industrial environment. The basis of the instrument is a miniature lens scanner, little larger than an optical objective lens, which mounts on the turret of an optical microscope. Selection between modes is simply achieved by turret rotation, ensuring good registration between images. An integrated computer system is used to control the instrument, recording images and V(z) curves into a 512point square digital frame store, and this is also used for image processing. The design of the microwave electronics is explained, and emphasis is put on the low frequency performance of the system. This is illustrated with interior images of production components.