Digital Surf

Summary

Digital Surf is a French software company formed in 1989 mainly known for its Mountains software, that is offered as embedded or optional OEM surface analysis software by the majority of profilometer and microscope manufacturers.[1][2][3]

Digital Surf
Company typePrivate company
IndustryComputer software, Research and Development
Founded1989
HeadquartersBesançon, France
Key people
Christophe Mignot, (CEO)
François Blateyron (COO)
ProductsMountainsMap
Revenue4.3 million (2017)
Number of employees
43
SubsidiariesImage Metrology A/S
Websitewww.digitalsurf.com

History edit

  • Digital Surf was established in 1989 in Besançon, France, initially as manufacturer of 3D non-contact laser profilometers.
  • In 1990, the company launched its first profile (2D surface texture) analysis software, for the MS-DOS operating system, followed in 1991 by a topography (3D surface texture analysis) software for the Macintosh II platform.
  • In 1992, Digital Surf had a first OEM deal with the company Taylor-Hobson. The software has since been offered by Taylor Hobson under the names TalyMap (topography) and TalyProfile (profile analysis).
  • In 1997, Digital Surf moved all its software to Windows and launched a new product for Windows 95 under the name Mountains. Other profilometer manufacturers started to promote it, such as Hommel-Etamic (Jenoptik Group) or KLA-Tencor.
  • In 2009, Digital Surf stopped manufacturing profilometers to refocus on the sole Mountains analysis software.
  • in 2011, Mountains was supplied as the standard or optional OEM surface analysis software by about 30 manufacturers, including Taylor-Hobson, Jenoptik, KLA-Tencor, Keysight, Leica, Mitaka Kohki,[4] Nikon, or Zeiss.[5]
  • Digital Surf has contributed to the ISO 25178 standard that defines new 3D surface texture parameters.
  • in 2014 Digital Surf took over the Danish company Image Metrology,[6] the developer of the software SPIP, specialized in the image analysis for atomic force microscopes. As a result, the version 8 of Mountains includes SPIP.[7]
  • in 2018 Digital Surf claims that its Mountains software is used by 15,000 users and integrated by more than 50 instrument manufacturers worldwide,[8][7] including Bruker,[9] Hitachi,[10] Thermo Fisher Scientific,[11] JEOL,[12] Anton Paar,[13] Nanosystem,[14] Confovis.[15]

Products edit

The Mountains software is offered to end users as four main lines of products[7]

  • MountainsMap, software for profilometers (2D Profilometers, 3D optical profilers and light microscopes)[7]
  • MountainsSEM, software for scanning electron microscopes [7]
  • MountainsSPIP, software for scanning probe microscopes (atomic force microscopes, scanning tunneling microscopes). MountainsSPIP 8.0 is the successor and merger of Mountains SPM 7.4 from Digital Surf and SPIP 6.7 from Image Metrology[7]
  • MountainsLab groups all functions in a single package dedicated to muti-instrument microscopy core facilities[7]

Optional modules to the previous cover force curve analysis (for atomic force microscopes), hyperspectral analysis, contour analysis and application-dedicated functionality.

Versions supplied through instrument manufacturers under their own brands are products tailored from MountainsMap, MountainsSEM or MountainsSPIP.

References edit

  1. ^ Digital Surf technology on Olympus Microscopes in Imaging and Microscopy
  2. ^ "Surface analysis data to be sold with instruments in Engineering talk". Archived from the original on 2008-07-26. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
  3. ^ (in French) Digital Surf analyse les surfaces en quatre dimensions (23 Septembre 2008) on Les Echos
  4. ^ Mitaka Kohki and Digital Surf Announce New Software for Mitaka Kohki's NH-Series of Laser Probe 3D Measuring Equipment on azonano.com
  5. ^ ConfoMap® Surface Imaging and Analysis Software for ZEISS microscopes in Microscopy News
  6. ^ Digital Surf acquires Image Metrology to strengthen image processing business in LaserFocusWorld
  7. ^ a b c d e f g The story behind MountainsSPIP, interview of Digital Surf's CEO in Surface Newsletter, Fall 2019, Pages 4-6
  8. ^ (in French)La NASA plébiscite le logiciel d'analyse de surface de Digital Surf in LesEchos.fr
  9. ^ Vision64 Map Software for Improved Metrology and Reporting in azonano.com
  10. ^ Hitachi High Technologies and Digital Surf announce new Hitachi-map 3D-software in Microscopy News
  11. ^ TopoMAPS Software for SEM Image Analysis from Thermo Fisher Scientific in Imaging & Microscopy
  12. ^ JEOL and Digital Surf Partner to Launch Smile View Map Software in Quality Mag
  13. ^ Tosca Analysis for Industrial AFM Users in Imaging&Microscopy
  14. ^ Nanosystem announced the release of Nanomap Alpha software in Imaging&Microscopy
  15. ^ Automated visual surface metrology reports in qmtmag

External links edit

  • F. Blateyron, Calculating 3D parameters according to ASME B46.1 and ISO 25178, International Conference on Surface Metrology 2009.
  • F. Blateyron, New 3D Parameters and Filtration Techniques for Surface Metrology, in QualityMag.com.
  • F. Blateyron 3D Parameters and New Filtration Techniques Symposium proceeding of Japan Society of Precision Machining (JSPE) spring general meeting, (2006 March) pp. 21–27.
  • Mountains Map 6 Software for Texture and Roughness Analysis from Digital Surf, interview at MRS congress, Boston by azonano