4D Technology Corporation was founded in January of 2002 by Dr. James C. Wyant and Dr. John B. Hayes (founders of Wyko Corporation), and Dr. James Millerd and Mr. Neal Brock (founders of 4D Vision Technology), for the purpose of developing and manufacturing metrology products for applications in aerospace, astronomy and optical fabrication, as well as for semiconductors and data storage. The founders transformed optical testing by simplifying measurements and enabling interferometric measurements in environments that were previously impossible.
4D has since built a world class staff experienced in laser interferometry, optical instrumentation, manufacturing, software development, quality systems, and customer support. The world's leading aerospace, astronomy and optics manufacturers now trust their most challenging measurements to 4D Technology, including: Ball Aerospace, Boeing, ITT Industries, NASA, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Sandia National Laboratory, University of Arizona Mirror Lab, Nikon, Tinsley, Lockheed Martin, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Steward Observatory, Corning, Alcatel, NIST, Agilent, Oceanit, and many more.
4D Technology Milestones
2000
- 4D Vision Technology founded in Irvine, CA to commercialize Dynamic Interferometry technology
- First PhaseCam interferometer installed for testing of large telescope mirrors
2001
- System introduced to measure vibration modes in turbine blades
2002
- 4D Technology acquired 4D Vision Technology
- All operations moved to Tucson, AZ
- PhaseCam 4000 series laser interferometers introduced, featuring improved imaging, calibration, and sensors
- Custom systems in pressure-tight enclosures delivered for testing in vacuum environments
2003
- 4Sight Data Analysis Software introduced, establishing a new standard for interferometric measurement and analysis
- Upgrade packages introduced to bring the power of 4Sight to older generation products from other manufacturers
- 4D earned "Photonics Circle of Excellence" Award for PhaseCam
2004
- Pixelated phase-mask sensor introduced, significantly improving performance of dynamic interferometers
- FizCam Dynamic Fizeau interferometer
- PhaseCam MW multiple wavelength system
- PhaseCam 5000 series with zoom imaging and motorized controls
- 4D recognized by the R&D100 Award for FizCam
2005
- SpeckleCam Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometer introduced for measuring shape change of large, diffuse objects
- 4D selected as primary metrology vendor for the James Webb Space Telescope
- 4D once again receives R&D 100 Award for PhaseCam MW multi-wavelength dynamic laser interferometer
2006
- Proprietary short-coherence laser source developed for isolating glass surfaces
- Fizcam 2000 (large aperture) and PhaseCam 7000 (small aperture) are deployed with new source
2007
- Offices opened on the US East Coast and in China to better serve those regions.
- New patents received for fundamental sensor technology.
- Introduced the FizCam 3000 fully on-axis dynamic Fizeau interferometer, and full line of Fizeau optical mounts.
2008
- Expanded range of wavelengths to 193 nm (DUV) through 10.6 microns (IR).
- Expanded range of apertures to 10-300 mm.