IBS coatings

04 May 2023

LASER COMPONENTS specialise in optical coatings with production starting in 1986.  Since then, we have expanded production capacity to include many coating chambers and different technologies including E-beam, IAD and IBS deposition methods.

The Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS) coating process is used for highly demanding coatings, as process parameters such as energy input, layer growth rate and level of oxidation can be exactly and independently set.  The desired layer structures can be produced very precisely and with high repeatability.  IBS is a very high energy coating process which results in compact and homogeneous layers which are free of moisture.  This results in drift-free coatings which are not sensitive to temperature changes.

With the IBS process, complex layer structures with more than one hundred layers can be produced, allowing for reflectivity values of R > 99.99%.  In our specialised IBS chamber, the index of refraction can be varied during the coating process.  This aids the development of layer structures with a progression in the refractive index, which in turn makes it possible to develop novel coatings with very high damage thresholds. 

With so many chambers and technologies available, we are well equipped to provide custom laser optics for most applications.

Further information Laser Optics (lasercomponents.com)