J.A. Woollam and Covalent Metrology Announce Ellipsometry Partnership

J.A. Woollam and Covalent Metrology Services have announced a partnership to promote and further advance spectroscopic ellipsometry technology, a powerful analytical technique used to optically characterize advanced materials and thin films.  The two companies will work together on education, training, and marketing as well as the development of new applications where the sensitivity and convenience of ellipsometry can provide key results for engineering problems.

Covalent offers a broad range of metrology and characterization services, both from its Silicon Valley laboratory and a proprietary network of partner labs.  Covalent recently acquired a fully equipped RC2 spectroscopic ellipsometer designed and manufactured by J.A. Woollam.  The system has been engineered to have the versatility required for many diverse applications. It features:

• a wide spectral range from 193 nm to 1690 nm, with over 1,000 individual wavelengths
• a fully automated 300 mm mapping sample stage for uniformity studies,
• a variable angle transmission stage,
• beam focusing down to 300 µm, and
• full Mueller matrix measurement capability for maximum sensitivity to challenging anisotropic samples.

J.A. Woollam has been the leading manufacturer of spectroscopic ellipsometers for more than 30 years.  The company is based in Lincoln, NE, and will be using Covalent’s Silicon Valley facility for training and demonstrations on the West Coast.  The two parties will leverage their respective strengths collaboratively to provide convenient access to world-class instrumentation and expert optical modeling in the heart of a leading US technological hub.

James Hilfiker, Director at J.A. Woollam says, “The field of spectroscopic ellipsometry has continued to grow for decades and we are extremely excited to partner with Covalent Metrology to offer service measurements on some of the best equipment in the world by some of the top researchers in their area.  Covalent has demonstrated their expertise lies beyond simply providing data to customers, as their team of in-house experts help users understand what each type of measurement can truly provide for their applications.”

Craig Hunter, CEO of Covalent stated, “The Woollam brand and technology are essentially synonymous with spectroscopic ellipsometry. The company has been at the forefront of this field for decades.  We are extremely excited to partner with J.A. Woollam and honored that they view the collaboration with Covalent as a strategic move for them to expand their footprint.”

About J.A. Woollam

Founded by Professor John A. Woollam based on spin-off from the University of Nebraska, the company has rapidly grown to become a worldwide leader in spectroscopic ellipsometry.  We have been perfecting our technology for over 30 years and have secured over 200 patents, all pertaining to spectroscopic ellipsometry. More information on the J.A. Woollam Company products can be found at jawoollam.com.

About Covalent Metrology Services, Inc.

Covalent Metrology is a new and innovative provider of imaging and characterization services to support R&D, defect analysis, and quality control for companies in the semiconductor, solar, medical device, MEMS and other industries. More information on characterization services offered by Covalent Metrology is available at www.covalentmetrology.com.

Covalent Metrology was founded in 2016 and is based in Sunnyvale, California. Its mission is to help companies who use advanced materials to get better data and insight about key research, development and production programs faster, more easily and less expensively. Covalent has already worked with more than 250 customers from over twenty industries and is growing at more than 30% each quarter.

For further information, contact:

Warren Wong
Covalent Metrology
Tel: 408.498.4611
warren@covalentmetrology.com