Precision optical components are used to alter the state of light through a variety of means including focusing, filtering, reflecting, or polarizing. Precision optical components are integrated into a number of applications, such as microscopy, imaging, or interferometry, for industries ranging from the life sciences to testing and measurement. Precision optical components are often designed using specific substrates or anti-reflection coatings to optimize performance in designated ultraviolet, visible, or infrared wavelengths or wavelength ranges.
Our sputtering targets guarantee high quality optical coatings in all plasma assisted reactive magnetron sputtering processes. Ultrafine grain structure and purities of up to 6N ensure reproducibility throughout the the entire production process.
Depending on the particular system and material your sputtering target may require bonding. EVOCHEM can provide Indium and Nano bonding services. We guarantee lead times of one workweek!
Anti-reflection (AR) coating improve the efficiency of the optic by increasing transmission, enhancing contrast, and eliminating ghost images. Most AR coatings are also very durable, with resistance to both physical and environmental damage. For these reasons, the vast majority of transmissive optics include some form of anti-reflection coating.
EVOCHEM provides a broad range of evaporation materials for AR coatings:
Hafnium Oxide (HfO2): HfO2 is a high refractive index evaporation material. HfO2 films are low-absorbing, hard and aherent to the substrate.
Zirconium Oxide (ZrO2): ZrO2 is a high refractive index materials for mulitlayer and AR coatings. ZrO2 can be depositioned on glass and plastics.
Tantalum Oxide (Ta2O5): Ta2O5 layers have refractive indices ranging from 2.07-2.18. Ta2O5 can be used for AR and multilayer coatings.
Niobium Oxide (Nb2O5, high density): Nb2O5 is a high refractive index evaporation material. Nb2O5 layers have refractive indices ranging from 2.27-2.33.
Titanium Oxide (Ti3O5, crystalline): Titanium oxide films have the highes refractive index in the visible range. Ti3O5 crystalline achieves the best reproducibility of all titanium oxide evaporation materials.
Please contact us for other AR coating materials.
Infrared (IR) applications requiring optical coatings are used by a broad range of industries – ranging from commercial, aerospace, military to medical. There are three major bands that are worked with when optical systems are used within the Earth’s atmosphere. They are the short-wave infrared (SWIR) or near-infrared (NIR), which covers the wavelenght from 0.75 to 3 μm; the mid-wave (MW) infrared, which covers from 3 to 5 μm; and the long-wave infrared, which covers 8 to 14 μm.
EVOCHEM offers various coating materials for this particular application (other materials are also avaible):
Barium Fluoride (BaF2) - Good transmission in the UV, VIS, NIR and MW spectral regions. Transmission is >90% between 0.25 - 9.5µm.
Germanium (Ge): Germanium has the highest index of refraction of any commonly used IR-transmitting coating material. It is very popular for systems operating in the 3- to 5-μm or 8- to 12-μm spectral regions.
Magnesium Fluoride (MgF2): Magnesium fluoride is one of the lowest-index IR evaporation materials. It is resistant to thermal and mechanical shock.
Aluminium Oxide (Al2O3): Al2O3 is one of the hardest and most durable optical materials. Commonly used in IR optical systems, operating in the NIR and MW spectral bands.
Silicon (Si): Silicon is an evaporation material commonly used in IR optical systems operating in the NIR and MW spectral bands.
Zinc Selenide (ZnSe): ZnSe is the evaporation material of choice for optics used in high-power CO2 laser systems due to its low absorption at 10.6 μm.
EVOCHEM offers various other evaporation materials for IR applications.
