Like many topics in the optics field, much of the current technology is merely a seed of a much higher potential whose breadth of applications hasn’t yet been fully realized. Infrared Optics is one of those topics, and its popularity and scientific investment has grown in recent years.

In the process of thin film deposition, we produce layers nanometers to microns thick on a surface in order to impart specific properties not necessarily inherent in the bulk material.

Glancing angle deposition (GLAD) is a nanofabrication technique that is an extension of oblique angle deposition in which the substrate incline is manipulated during film deposition.

Ion Beam Sputter Deposition (IBSD) is a physical vapor deposition method which utilizes a remote broad ion/plasma beam source to bombard a grounded (floating) target and sputter target material onto a substrate.

Ion Beam Etching (or Milling) is a dry plasma etch method which utilizes a remote broad beam ion/plasma source to remove substrate material by physical inert gas and/or chemical reactive gas means. Like other dry plasma etch techniques, the typical figures of merit apply, such as etch rate, anisotropy, selectivity, uniformity, aspect ratio, and substrate damage. However, ion beam etching advances additional dry etch merits, which include wide range of materials, precision etch stops, indiffere...

Sputtering is a thin-film manufacturing process widely used across many industries including semiconductor processing, precision optics, and surface finishing. Sputtered thin films have excellent uniformity, density and adhesion making them ideal for multiple applications.