MIDDLEFIELD, Conn., Dec. 17 -- Zygo Corp. reported that sales of its NewView 5000 series of optical profilers to data storage customers in Asia and the Pacific Rim have reached nearly $3 million for the first half of fiscal 2000. The units are used by the manufacturers -- including Hitachi Metals at its facility in Penang, Malaysia -- in the manufacturing of GMR heads.Commenting on the orders, John Roth, Zygo's product manager for the NewView 5000 product line, noted, As precision fly height control and drive performance continue to advance, precise process metrology of critical head parameters are paramount. Our proprietary scanning technologies, advanced data processing and analysis capabilities are providing manufacturers with the required tools for critical process control of PTR and shallow etch head parameters.