The Luna Quarterly

Luna Advances Terahertz System Capabilities to Conductive Materials

In keeping with our reputation as a thought leader for imaginative sensing design approaches, Luna has developed a dual channel Terahertz system to measure the thickness (without calibration) of a highly conductive (metal) layer. The advance of our dual channel Terahertz demonstrates yet another capability of Luna’s innovative Terahertz sensors, expanding the use of Terahertz sensors to an important, previously excluded market segment.

Terahertz measurement systems are an excellent means by which the thickness of an object can be assessed in a process control context. Terahertz measurements are safe, low-energy, high-precision, and able to simultaneously measure the thickness of multiple layers. Prior to the development of this new dual channel system, the majority of Luna’s Terahertz thickness measurements had been made by finding the time delay of an electromagnetic pulse as it reflected off the surface of an object, penetrated through and reflected off of the backside, which is tried-and-true for a number of applications including thickness measurement of building products, such as roofing and insulation, as well as for tire and rubber.

And, up until this most recent innovation, Terahertz systems had not been able to measure the thickness of conductive materials, since the electromagnetic pulse is reflected off the conductive surface. However, now, Luna’s new dual channel Terahertz system not only significantly extends Terahertz’s reach to include conductive materials, but with its industry leading regulatory compliance certifications, it provides a safer and more accurate alternative to x-ray, ultrasound, and nuclear measurements, which are potentially dangerous and sensitive to temperature and material composition.

Read more on our blog or see the datasheet about Luna’s dual channel Terahertz measurement system.