Made to measure surfaces improve optical products. Wavelength selective coatings

For numerous optical uses light of only a certain wavelength is usable or is of interest. Other wavelengths that accompany this wavelength often have unwished for effects such as heating or falsifying the measured results. Fine optical coating systems can separate desired from disturbing wavelengths of different kinds from one another. Coatings can improve the optical qualities of surfaces, such as reflection, transmission, absorption, and selectivity. They are often used to increase the degree of reflection; to reduce the degree of absorption and so hinder the absorption of heat; to reduce the degree of reflection to improve the efficiency in illumination and radiation equipment; and to define the blocking and passage areas for measurement and sensor technology. The SI Optics company develops and manufactures coatings by the plasma vapor deposition (PVD) process that combine different properties for different wavelength ranges. The discussion covers PVD coatings; robust UV reflectors and efficient illumination; filter for bio-analysis and molecular biology; optical coatings and further services; and summing up enhancing optical surfaces. The PVD processes deal mostly with metallic and dielectric coatings. Previously filters were often used as additional components but now coated components can take on the filter function. By means of PVD coatings different functions of a component can be combined and the product made clearly more usable, smaller, and serviceable. For a use in the printing industry (cured polymer based printing color), SI Optics developed a cold light reflector of aluminum extrusions. The UV light is reflected; and the IR radiation and visible light pass into a strongly heat absorbing layer. This layer leads the heat away quickly and effectively to the water cooled aluminum profile. This optimizes heat withdrawal and together with the increase of the UV fraction in the reflected light provides a smaller thermal loading of the substrate. Other examples of the use of wavelength selective coatings are provided. Photograph, diagrams, graphs, and references. © Carl Hanser Verlag.