A patented optical concept developed at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin has become a market-ready measurement solution. In close collaboration with the research team, Freiberg Instruments transformed the innovative double-prism monochromator into the compact DPM100 – opening new possibilities for the precise characterization of semiconductor materials across an exceptionally wide spectral range.
Modern technologies such as power electronics, photovoltaics, LEDs, sensors and photocatalysis rely on semiconductor materials with increasingly diverse band gaps. Their development requires light sources that can continuously vary photon energy from the near infrared to the deep ultraviolet.
Conventional diffraction-grating monochromators may require several different gratings to cover this range. The DPM100 uses a mirrorless optical system based on fused silica prisms, enabling continuous wavelength adjustment from 0.4 to 7.3 eV, equivalent to 170 to 3,100 nm – without interruptions or changing optical elements.
The system combines this wide spectral coverage with a resolution of 2 to 100 meV and stray light suppression exceeding eight orders of magnitude. This makes it particularly suitable for detecting and analyzing defect states in wide- and ultra-wide-bandgap semiconductors such as silicon carbide, gallium oxide, gallium nitride and diamond.
The underlying technology was developed by a team led by Dr. Thomas Dittrich at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin in collaboration with HEREON. Freiberg Instruments contributed its expertise in measurement technology and system development to realize the first prototype and transfer the patented concept into a reliable product for practical application.
Today, the DPM100 enables researchers and industrial users to investigate optoelectronic and optical material properties in a single continuous measurement. Its applications range from fundamental materials research and the development of next-generation semiconductors to process development and industrial quality control.
The successful transfer from scientific innovation to serial production demonstrates how close cooperation between research and industry can accelerate technological progress and turn new measurement concepts into practical solutions.
For further insights into the development and technology transfer, read the publication by Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin.