For almost thirty years we have been manufacturing high-power laser optics in house. The production facility for hard dielectric coatings was opened in 1986. In 2008, we began producing substrates for lenses in house. Since that time, our CNC-produced spherical optics have had particularly fast delivery times. Prior to being coated, the substrates are cleaned using our ultrasound cleaning system.
The Whole Nine Yards: PVD, IAD, and IBS
We can accommodate all standard coating technologies in our facility – to the complete advantage of our customers. There is an optimal coating for each application.
Physical vapor deposition (PVD) is an established coating method that is used for all standard coatings. Ion-assisted deposition (IAD) was introduced for compact layers; ion beam sputtering (IBS) was then added for the purpose of producing coatings with extremely low scattering that feature neither temperature nor moisture drifts. Almost all spectral curves can be implemented.
The state-of-the-art IBS method is used, for example, for mirrors with the highest reflectivity values or for very complex coatings.
State-of-the-art Systems with integrated Measurement Technology
Over the course of the past two years we have invested heavily in new systems and modernized the existing ones. Our coating systems are for the most part fully automated, computer controlled, and equipped with online monitoring capabilities that supervise the composition of the layers during the coating process. This ensures a high level of process reliability; it also allows coatings to be produced precisely according to specifications and designs to be reproduced exactly.
Prototypes and Large Quantities
We coat glass and fused silica substrates from a few millimeters to a maximum size of Ø 400 mm. With our equipment, we can manufacture both small and very large quantities cost effectively: In one production run, for example, either a few parts with a diameter of 400 nm or a lot of parts with a diameter of 1” or 2” can be manufactured.
From Interferometric Measurements to Damage Threshold Tests: Comprehensive Measurement Equipment along the Chain of Production
For internal quality assurance purposes we set up several measuring stations at different steps along the chain of production. In substrate production, the centricity of a lens can be ascertained. The radius of curvature and surface figure can be determined interferometrically. The cleanliness can be checked and the microroughness of the surface measured with a white-light interferometer. This value is necessary in order to produce mirrors that have the highest reflectivity values using low-dispersion IBS coatings.
In the end, the coating specifications are checked using spectral photometers; the measurement curves can be delivered upon request.
In accordance with the ISO standard, we also perform damage threshold tests at 1064 nm in house.
Process stability and a comprehensive range of measurement options ensure the lasting quality of our laser optics!
Documentation
To ensure clear product classification and traceability, the completed optics can be labelled with the batch number: this is applied to the edge of the optic using a CO2 laser.
