Documentation, Tutorials & FAQs
Brochures:
TFCompanion brochure: Brochure2008.pdf.
To request a brochure about our hardware products and/or services - please contact us
1. TFCompanion Quick StartUpGuide.pdf and detailed User Guide: TFC_UserGuide.pdf
2.Parameters and conventions supported by TFCompanion: Parameters_conventions_TFCompanion.pdf
3. TFCompanion import/export data format: TFCompanion_data_format.pdf
4. TFCompanion installation instructions: Installation_instructions.pdf
5. TFCompanion updating: Update_instructions.pdf
Tutorials on this page are describing the core capabilities of TFCompanion software and designed to speed up the learning process. Tutorials are in the form of a slide shows, slides are changed manually: enter or mouse-click. To return to the previous slide right-click mouse and select "Previous slide" from the popup menu. Mouse wheel can be used to browse slides. MS Power Point is needed to view the slide show. If you do not have MS Power Point installed on your computer - you can download free PowerPoint Viewer from MS web side : http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=428D5727-43AB-4F24-90B7-A94784AF71A4&displaylang=en
You can view the Tutorials on-line (some browsers may not have appropriate binding to *.pps extension) or download it (right-click on the link and use Save Target As) and start Tutorial locally. If slides do not cover full screen -- use right-click button and select Full screen option from a popup menu.
To view Flash Tutorials - Flash plugin is required. Most browsers either have it or will load it on demand, otherwise - please download it from Macromedia website: http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash
1. Introduction to TFCompanion : Introduction TFCompanion (7.1MB)
2. TFCompanion Introduction (Beaglehole Instruments users): BILIntroduction.htm (flash tutorial);
for builds older than 071805 - BILIntroduction.pps
3. Introduction to Imaging Ellipsometer (Beaglehole Instrument users):BILImaging.htm(flash tutorial)
4. TFCompanion Materials Tutorial: Materials.pps
5. TFCompanion Filmstacks Tutorial: Filmstacks.pps
6. Using TFCompanion Data Comparison : CompareData.pps
7. Using TFCompanion for Simulation and Sensitivity Analysis : Simulation.pps
8. Using TFCompanion for filmstack parameters Calculation: CalculationTutorial.pps
9. Using TFCompanion for Direct NK measurement: DirectNK_Tutorial (Flash tutorial)
10. Using Linked Materials & Layers: Linked_Tutorial (Flash)
11 Multi-Sample analysis with TFCompanion: Multi-sample (Flash).
12. TFCompanion use with Imaging Ellipsometer (Nanofilm Ellipsometer users):
Use the Tutorial Index - to navigate tutorial from the separate page.
- Tutorial Part I (Flash 17MB)
- Tutorial Part II (Flash 12MB)
- Tutorial Part III (Flash 6 MB)
Download TFCompanion use with Imaging Ellipsometer tutorial zipped and view it locally: TFCompanionImagingNF.zip (34MB)
13. Converting measurement data: Measurement_to_Material (Flash)
Frequently asked questions (FAQ):
1. How I can improve the performance of TFCompanion?
2. How do I use TFCompanion with another version of java (JRE)?
3. What version of JRE TFCompanion supports?
4. Measurement data and/or material data formats are not supported by TFCompanion, what can I do?
How I can improve the performance of TFCompanion?
TFCompanion default configuration limits the use of the memory (RAM) to 64MB. You can change this configuration to improve speed and responsiveness of the program by allocating more memory to the program. Use Configure/Configure Launcher from the main menu to adjust the memory allocation. You will be able to setup minimum and maximum memory bounds. Minimum memory is the memory allocated at startup, maximum value is the memory that can potentially be available to application is needed. For most applications, min=32MB, max=200MB gives good performance. If you are doing heavy calculations and, especially, using image processing, batch, etc. - consider setting higher limit for max memory allocation. Check the actual memory allocation needs by running Memory monitor (Help/Memory Monitor). Please remember that in 32bit system memory allocation cannot exceed 2GB.
How do I use TFCompanion with another version of java (JRE)?
You can easily change the JRE version used to run TFCompanion. Note that should have JRE installed before configuring TFCompanion. Use Configure/Configure Launcher from the main menu to select different JRE.
What version of JRE TFCompanion supports?
TFCompanion supports all versions of JRE 1.4 and higher. Latest version of JRE 1.5 is recommended. TFCompanion was tested with the current beta release of JRE 1.6 as well.
Measurement data and/or material data formats are not supported by TFCompanion, what can I do?
Please send us a sample file and we will add support for this format free of charge as soon as possible. In the mean time you can reformat your data to match TFCompanion format (it is simple text table format with a header).