CARS Artifact Reduction: Which Measurements Need It?
By Zygo | Published: 2026-11-04
Category: Guide all'acquisto
Decide whether the Coherent Artifact Reduction System belongs in your new Dynafiz or Verifire HD configuration by matching 6-10x noise reduction to your surface and resolution needs.
Quick answer
Choose the Coherent Artifact Reduction System (CARS) when you are configuring a new Dynafiz or Verifire HD and your measurements are limited by wavefront shearing, speckle, or mottle noise rather than by the interferometer itself. If your surfaces are smooth and your tolerances are comfortably above the sub-nanometer level, the standard configuration is the more sensible starting point.
What CARS actually changes in a measurement
CARS is a hardware option that reduces noise from wavefront shearing, speckle, and mottle by 6-10x, according to the manufacturer. Those three noise sources are coherent artifacts: they come from the way laser light interferes at the detector, not from a defect in the part. That distinction matters because artifact reduction improves the measurement floor without changing how the interferometer acquires data.
The practical result is sub-nanometer vertical resolution. If your current uncertainty budget is dominated by speckle or mottle rather than by vibration, calibration, or environment, CARS addresses the right term. If another error source is larger, the improvement may be hidden.
When standard interferometry is the better buy
CARS is a new-system option only. It cannot be added to an interferometer you already own, so the decision has to be made at the time of configuring and purchasing a new Dynafiz or Verifire HD. That timing constraint makes it a configuration decision, not an upgrade path.
If your parts are polished, your coatings are uniform, and your required vertical resolution is well above one nanometer, the standard system likely meets your needs. Spending the option budget on environmental control or operator training may produce a larger real-world gain.
The trade-off to weigh honestly
The catalog comparison price is USD 6,550.00 against a catalog price of USD 3,930.00, so CARS is a meaningful addition to a new-system order. The case for it rests on whether artifact noise is the limiting factor in the measurements you plan to make, not on whether better noise performance is generally desirable.
The supplied catalog does not list option types or compatibility beyond Dynafiz and Verifire HD, so confirm the exact configuration with Zygo before ordering. Treat any assumption about other platforms as unverified.
Decision rules for adding CARS
- Noise source check: Add CARS if repeatability tests on your typical part show speckle or mottle dominating the noise budget. Skip it if vibration, thermal drift, or calibration uncertainty is larger. Run the noise check before finalizing the configuration.
- Resolution target: Add CARS when your specification calls for sub-nanometer vertical resolution on surfaces that produce coherent artifacts. If your tolerance is comfortably above one nanometer, the standard system is likely sufficient.
- Surface and coating review: Add CARS for rough, textured, or thinly coated surfaces where speckle and mottle appear in fringes. For uniform, well-polished parts with clean fringes, the benefit is smaller.
- Purchase timing: Decide at new-system configuration, because CARS is only available with a new Dynafiz or Verifire HD purchase. Do not plan on adding it to an existing instrument. Lock the decision before the order is placed.
- Budget comparison: Weigh the USD 3,930.00 catalog price against the USD 6,550.00 comparison price and against alternative spending on environment or training. Choose CARS only when artifact noise is the binding constraint.
Product facts
- Coherent Artifact Reduction System (CARS): CARS is an option for Dynafiz and Verifire HD that reduces wavefront shearing, speckle, and mottle noise by 6-10x, providing sub-nanometer vertical resolution. It targets coherent artifact noise specifically, so it helps most when that noise, not another error source, sets your measurement floor.
Coherent Artifact Reduction System (CARS) - Coherent Artifact Reduction System (CARS): The option is available only when configuring and purchasing a new system. Plan for it during the initial purchase; it is not a later field upgrade.
Is CARS right for your lab?
Best for
- Labs configuring a new Dynafiz or Verifire HD for sub-nanometer vertical resolution
- Measurements on textured, coated, or speckle-prone surfaces where coherent artifacts dominate
- Teams whose repeatability data points to wavefront shearing, speckle, or mottle as the limiting noise
Not for
- Existing interferometer owners, since CARS is a new-system-only option
- Labs with tolerances well above one nanometer and clean, polished parts
- Buyers whose dominant error source is vibration, temperature, or calibration rather than coherent artifacts
