precision optical coatings

Opti-Forms' Thin Film Optical Coatings

The main purpose of depositing thin film optical materials onto an optical surface is to modify it such to provide environmental protection and or improve optical performance. Thin film filters may consist of a single layer deposited directly onto a substrate, or a multilayer stack of alternating dissimilar thin film materials.

Thin film filters rely on the cancellation or reinforcement of reflected light from the successive boundaries of each optical surface including the substrate. Theory developed throughout the 19th century and culminating with James Clerk Maxwell's "A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism" provided the basis of understanding the behavior of thin film filters (1). An important part of this understanding includes the fact that if an individual layer thickness of a thin film multilayer is precisely controlled, the cancellation or reinforcement of the light can be predicted and controlled. This is the basis of thin film filter design.

The basic manufacturing technique for the construction of thin film optical filters is that of vacuum deposition. Many vacuum deposition techniques are available to manufacture optical filters. Opti-Forms specializes in Electron Beam Physical Vapor Deposition (EBPVD).

While the rules of design are widely known and the general principles of thin film deposition are well established and mature; Opti-Forms generally doesn’t discuss specific manufacturing methods and considers them proprietary, treating them as trade secrets.

World Class Optical Thin Film Coating Services

Opti-Forms was the first in the industry to provide a warranty on its coated reflectors. Over the years, Opti-Forms has developed high performance dichroic cold coatings for motion picture projection, ultraviolet enhancement coatings for UV applications, as well as a multitude of special application optical coatings. The consistent pursuit of excellence keeps Opti-Forms the world leader in coated precision electroformed optics.

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1 ). “Thin Film Optical Filters”, H.A Macleod

Coating Applications
at Opti-Forms

Opti-forms offers a wide variety of thin film optical coatings. A few applications include:

• coatings for theater and digital projection optics
• energy related coatings
• solar thermal control coatings
• coatings for display applications
• optical coatings for collection optics
• broad band high reflectance coatings
• narrow band high reflectance coatings
• antireflection coatings
• enhanced metal coatings

In most cases a customer’s performance requirement can be met by choosing from OFI’s large selection of standard optical coatings.

If a performance requirement isn’t met with a standard optical coating, OFI will design and deposit a custom solution.

Please contact our sales department with your needs.