Technology and Capabilities

ION BEAM SPUTTERING (IBS)

Ion Beam Sputtering is one of the premier deposition technologies for optical thin-film coatings. IBS films exhibit the lowest absorption and scatter losses of any deposition technology. The high energy of the condensing material produces bulk-like, amorphous layers with minimal micro-structural features and negligible vacuum-to-air shift. As a highly deterministic and consistent process, IBS is capable of accurately and exactly depositing complicated, multi-functional designs. The low operating temperature of IBS is compatible with a variety of substrates including gratings and electro-optical mechanical components, such as deformable mirrors.

LARGE OPTICS CAPABILITY

MLD has two 1.5 meter class IBS chambers capable of uniformly coating optics as large as 18” in diameter. Coating of even larger optics is under development.

METROLOGY INSTRUMENTATION

Spectrophotometers: UV, VIS, NIR, IR

• Cary 500 and 6000i, Hitachi U-3410, Perkin Elmer PE983G
• Transmittance and reflectance at variable angles
• Polarized measurements
• Step-scan apertures up to 18” dia.

Laser Photometer

• Reflectance & transmittance at 532 nm, 632.8 nm, 830 nm, 980 nm, 1030 nm, 1064nm, 1123 nm, 1319 nm, 1550 nm
• Size range: up to 18” diameter
• Angle ranges: Ts,p @ 0°-80° & Rs,p @ 7.5°-80°

Cavity Ringdown Lossmeters

• Total loss measurements at 1064 nm, 1310 nm & 500-750 nm
• Sensitivity <1ppm loss on substrates and coatings

Absorptometer

• PCI-03 Photothermal Common-Path Interferometer
• Measurements at 1064 nm and 1319 nm
• Absorption sensitivity <1 ppm at 1064 nm

Phase Shifting Interferometers

• Apertures up to 150 mm at 632.8 nm
• Apertures up to 300 mm at 1064 nm and 1319 nm

Microscope Inspection

• Bright Field / Dark Field / Stereo
• Nomarski Interference Contrast

Surface Profilers

• Zygo Model 5500 Optical Heterodyne Profiler
• Zygo NewView 5000 3D Optical Surface Profiler