Tempo 1D – Ultra High Frequency Receiver

The Tempo 1D detects surface displacements resulting from Ultra High Frequency ultrasound propagation — up to GHz frequencies — making it suitable for thin-film characterisation, high-resolution subsurface imaging, and other UHF applications.

High-Efficiency Optical Design

Optimised to process highly speckled beams without requiring a single speckle (as required by classical coherent receivers). Includes a large 2-inch aperture for high collection efficiency on light-scattering surfaces. Exhibits high optical etendue.

Measurement Precision

Produces an analogue output signal directly proportional to surface displacement at frequencies above a cutoff frequency. Output is automatically calibrated to 100 mV per nanometre of displacement.

Unaffected by Low-Frequency Acoustic Noise

Performance is unaffected by low-frequency acoustic noise or turbulence in the beam path (below approximately 100 Hz without compensation; up to 10 kHz with internal compensation). An integrated electronic feedback loop compensates up to 10 kHz.

Signal Indicators

Integrated visual and audible signal indicators aid setup optimisation. Includes an internal calibration signal.

UHF detection — up to GHz frequency range

Out-of-plane surface displacement measurement

Processes highly speckled beams — no single-speckle requirement

2-inch aperture for high collection efficiency

Electronic noise compensation up to 10 kHz

Calibrated output: 100 mV per nm displacement

Visual and audible signal indicators

Applications: research & education, sensing, defence & aerospace

• Thin-Film & Coating Characterisation
  • Non-contact measurement of film thickness, elastic properties, and adhesion quality in thin-film stacks — including semiconductor coatings, optical thin films, tribological coatings, and piezoelectric films. UHF frequencies enable resolution of sub-micrometre layers.
• Semiconductor & Microelectronics Inspection
  • Characterisation of wafer bonding quality, subsurface void detection, and through-silicon via (TSV) integrity in semiconductor devices. The GHz frequency range provides the spatial resolution needed for fine-pitch features and thin substrates.
• High-Frequency Materials Research
  • Laboratory measurement of acoustic wave velocities, elastic constants, and damping in advanced materials — including composites, ceramics, single crystals, and piezoelectric materials. Surface acoustic wave (SAW) dispersion measurements support elastic property determination in anisotropic films and substrates.
• Picosecond & Pump-Probe Ultrasonics
  • Detection receiver for pump-probe laser ultrasound experiments at GHz frequencies — enabling acoustic characterisation of nano-scale layers, interfaces, and buried structures. Widely used in academic and industrial research settings.
• Defence & Aerospace Component Inspection
  • High-frequency inspection of bonded structures, thermal barrier coatings, and surface-treated components in defence and aerospace applications. UHF sensitivity enables detection of near-surface defects and thin-layer integrity issues that lower-frequency systems miss