Optical metrology is a branch of science that studies the interaction of light to any object in order to measure various characteristics in a wide variety of applications. In the manufacturing sector, the need to optimize processes and achieve operational efficiencies is estimated to drive the requirement for precision instruments. In applications where physical touch with components is problematic, optical metrology techniques are suitable. The optical metrology techniques are also used extensively in industries embracing miniaturization to achieve high precision, which is likely to widen the scope for optical metrology market players over the forecast period from 2021 to 2031.
The semiconductor sector is expanding rapidly as a result of the driving the demand for various consumer electronics and augmented spending on R&D activities. There is a growing demand to design and build cost-effective as well as high-performance integrated circuits (ICs) due to the increasing use of electronic products. Integrated circuits are an essential part of electronic goods. In the chip production, the optical metrology is utilized to validate a layout and the thickness of films. With the introduction of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and manufacturing 4.0, the demand for automation and in-line metrology is expected to rise considerably.
Optical metrology combined with IoT has the ability to dramatically improve manufacturing quality by giving real-time feedback during the assessment of quality goods.
The global optical metrology market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.9 % CAGR to reach US$ 5.13 Bn by 2031.
The 3D metrology is being used in advanced manufacturing processes and has become common in several fields, including medicine, automotive, and consumer electronics. In order to accommodate shifting customer demands, manufacturers are producing new consumer items. Sensofar Metrology, for instance, has introduced a high-performance, non-contact, 3D optical large area metrology solution for micro scale measuring. The 3D optical metrology is being promoted as a flexible tool for sophisticated production processes in a variety of industries, including semiconductors, medical, automotive, and electronics. The demand for 3D optical metrology in the manufacturing of electronic products is driven by its need for measurement reproducibility and extreme accuracy.
A large share of manual industrial processes is being replaced by automation across the world. Organizations are increasingly responding to automation demands of optical metrology as well. As production processes incorporate automated measurements, the use of optical metrology for factory automation is growing. Optical metrology is employed to maneuver robots and improve automation by increasing precision to 100 micrometers. Furthermore, when high frequency component inspection is necessary, the demand for automated metrology systems arises. An increasing need for optical metrology is also fueled by the increasing focus on traceability, expansion, and productivity. These factors are likely to have a beneficial impact on the global optical metrology market.
Optical Metrology Market: Growth Drivers
- Automotive is one of the significant end-use industries in the optical metrology market. Non-contact optical technology for automotive metrology is being increasingly used by this sector. This technology entails topography, shape, and high-speed measurement of glass width as part of automated inline examination of automobile glass, such as windscreens. Use of such sophisticated optical technologies makes automotive sector a significant end user for the market.
- Firms are inventing touchless dimensions measurement equipment and continuously upgrading non-contact optical metrology systems to help electronics manufacturers improve in their technologies and products. 3D optical metrology is in high demand in electronics production due to its measurement repeatability and extreme precision.