Custom Optical Coatings: High-Precision Thin Film Solutions (UV to IR)
Avantier specializes in high-performance custom optical coatings meticulously engineered to enhance light transmission, control reflection, and manipulate polarization across the UV, Visible, and Infrared (NIR, SWIR, MWIR, LWIR) spectra.
Our capabilities range from high-durability metallic coatings (Aluminum, Silver, Gold) to complex multi-layer dielectric coatings designed for extreme precision. Leveraging advanced deposition technologies—including Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS), Ion-Assisted Electron Beam (IAD E-Beam), PARMS, and APS—we deliver industry-leading solutions for high laser damage threshold (LIDT), ultra-narrow bandpass filtering, and athermalized performance.
With a robust manufacturing infrastructure featuring eight advanced coating systems in our ISO-certified facility, we support diverse applications in aerospace, defense, medical, and quantum computing. From rapid prototyping to high-volume production, our expertise ensures stable, high-performance coatings tailored to your most challenging optical specifications.
Optical Coating Capabilities & Technical Specifications
Technical Category |
Key Specifications (Performance) |
Features & Applications |
Anti-Reflection (AR) |
R < 0.1% (Narrowband) / R < 0.5% (Broadband) |
Single layer, BBAR, Laser V-coat, Double V-coat. |
High-Reflection (HR) |
R > 99.9% (Dielectric) / R > 99% (IR Metallic) |
High-power laser mirrors, Cavity mirrors, Beam steering. |
Optical Filters |
Rejection Depth up to OD 6.0 |
Bandpass, Dichroic, Edge (SWP/LWP), Notch filters. |
Beamsplitters |
Polarization Contrast Tp:Ts > 1000:1 |
Polarizing (PBS) & Non-Polarizing, Custom split ratios. |
High LIDT Coatings |
CW: 100kW/cm² / Pulsed: 114 J/cm² (10ns) |
High-energy laser systems, damage-resistant optics. |
Ultrafast Coatings |
Precise GDD Control (Low Dispersion) |
Pulse compression for Femtosecond/Picosecond lasers. |
Metallic Mirrors |
R > 98% (Protected Ag, Al, Au) |
UV, Visible, and Infrared (NIR to LWIR) applications. |
DLC Coating / Hard Coatings |
High Hardness & Chemical Resistance |
Germanium/Silicon substrates for defense & sensors. |
Specialty Coatings |
ITO (Conductive) / Hydrophobic |
EMI shielding, easy-clean, and harsh environment use. |
Technical Case Studies: Precision Laser Reflectors
Our mature coating technology ensures exceptional reflectivity and high laser damage resistance across UV, Visible, and IR spectra.
- 355nm UV Laser Reflector:
PV（nm） | RMS（nm） | POWER（nm） | |
90% aperture | 124.2 | 10.6 | -18.59 |
80% aperture | 54.8 | 5.1 | -2.8 |
- Performance: Achieved R > 98.93% – 99.32% @ 355nm (AOI 45°).
- Surface Precision: Maintained PV < λ/8 (54.8nm @ 80% aperture) ensuring minimal wavefront distortion.
Reliability: Proven service life exceeding one year in industrial UV applications.
- 1064nm High-Power Continuous Laser (CW) Mirror:
- Reflectivity: 99.64% @ 1064nm (AOI 45°)
- Thermal Stability: Successfully withstood 30kW/cm² for 120s with a minimal temperature rise of < 6°C.
- LIDT Achievement: No damage observed up to 30kW/cm²; threshold reaching 100kW/cm², fully meeting requirements for industrial high-power CW systems.
- High-Reflectivity 1064nm (AOI 0°-45°):
AOI = 8 ° | AOI = 45 ° , P | AO = 45 ° , S | |
Roughness | Rq < 1 nm | ||
Absorptance | A < 20 ppm | ||
Ring down duration | 7.6 μs | 5.04 μs | 9.91 μs |
Reflectance | 99.987 % | 99.971 % | 99.989 % |
- Peak Reflectance: Up to 99.989% (S-pol @ 45°) and 99.987% (AOI 8°).
- Surface Quality: Exceptional roughness of Rq < 1 nm and ultra-low absorption < 20 ppm.
- Total Loss: Minimized to 135.7 ppm (S-pol), ideal for high-precision cavity and beam steering applications.
Technical Case Study: High-Contrast Polarizing Beam Splitters
- 1053nm / 1054nm PBS:
- Extinction Ratio: Achieved polarization contrast Tp:Ts > 1000:1.
- Efficiency: Rs > 99.9% while maintaining Rp as low as 0.71%.
- Large Format Precision: For a 300 x 200mm PBS mirror, we achieved surface profile deviation PV < 0.33 λ and RMS < 0.06 λ.
- Pulsed Laser Resistance: 1064nm pulsed laser mirrors reaching a 50%-LIDT of 114.2 J/cm² (10ns pulse), effectively controlling defect-induced damage.
- Optimized for high-energy nanosecond pulses, our specialized coating delivers exceptional damage resistance and stability.
- Reflectivity: High-reflectance (HR) performance at 1064nm.
- Pulsed Laser Damage Threshold (LIDT): * 0%-LIDT: 48 J/cm2
- 50%-LIDT: 114.2 J/cm2 (1064nm, 10ns, 10 pulses).
- Proven Stability: Maintains a consistent damage threshold across multiple pulses, effectively suppressing defect-induced damage in high-energy pulsed systems.
Technical Case Study: Large-Aperture Metallic & Dielectric Coatings
Our facility is equipped to handle large-diameter substrates while maintaining rigorous surface figure requirements.- Large-Aperture Silver (Up to 630mm): Maintained exceptional surface quality post-coating with RMS 12.37nm (0.094 λ).
- Infrared Gold (450mm): Optimized for 3-12μm range, achieving ~100% reflectivity @ 8-12μm with an RMS of 19.26nm.
Cutting-Edge Optical Coatings Technologies
We utilize advanced coating platforms to balance spectral performance, environmental stability, and cost-efficiency based on your specific application requirements.
Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS): The industry gold standard for ultra-low loss and high stability. It produces exceptionally dense thin films with near-zero water absorption and superior environmental durability.
- Best for: Laser mirrors requiring extreme reflectivity (R > 99.99%) and ultra-narrow bandpass filters.
- Best for: Visible to NIR coatings and complex multi-layer designs where large chamber capacity is critical.
- Best for: High-performance fluorescence filters and dichroic beam splitters requiring steep transition edges.
- Best for: Durable AR and HR coatings for aerospace and defense applications.
Advanced Capabilities
- Large-Diameter Patterned Coating: Micron-level precision on 350mm x 400mm substrates with low square resistance (0.12Ω).
- Black Film for Stray Light: OD > 3 (400-2500nm) with Rave < 1.72% for high-end lithography and sensor applications.
- Integrated Beam Splitters: Complex multi-band coatings (AR 600-900nm / HR 1064nm / Splitter 3700-4800nm) on a single element with RMS 28.6nm.
Quality Assurance & Metrology: Verified Performance
Measurement Item | Accuracy / Standards | Verified By (Equipment) |
Spectral Analysis | UV to IR (200nm–25μm) / OD 6.0 | Agilent Cary 7000, PerkinElmer LAMBDA/FT-IR |
Surface Figure | PV < λ/10, RMS < 0.01 λ | ZYGO Verifire & DynaFiz Interferometers |
Surface Roughness | Rq < 1 nm (Ultra-low scattering) | ZYGO NewView 9000 (3D Profiler) |
LIDT (Laser Damage) | CW 100kW/cm² / Pulsed 114 J/cm² | In-house & Third-party Laser Damage Testing |
Environmental | MIL-C-48497, MIL-PRF-13830B | Temp/Humidity Chambers, Salt Spray, Abrasion |
Ultrafast (GDD) | Sub-femtosecond precision | White Light Interferometry (GDD Measurement) |
High-Performance Coating Materials & Design
We select high-purity materials and optimize layer structures to meet stringent optical and environmental requirements. Our expertise covers a broad index range for specialized interference designs.
- Dielectric Materials (SiO2, TiO2, Ta2O5, HfO2, MgF2):
Utilized for high-precision interference coatings. By alternating high-index (e.g., Ta2O5) and low-index (e.g., SiO2) layers, we achieve reflectivity up to >99.9% or transmission with R < 0.1%.- Focus: High Laser Damage Threshold (LIDT) and ultra-low absorption for high-power laser systems.
- Metallic Coatings (Protected/Enhanced Al, Ag, Au):
- Aluminum: Broad reflection for UV-Vis.
- Silver: Highest reflectivity (>98%) for Visible to NIR.
- Gold: Exceptional performance in IR (3-12 µm) with chemical stability.
- Transparent Conductive Oxides (ITO, AZO):
Combining high optical transparency with electrical conductivity.- Applications: EMI shielding and heated windows for outdoor/defense sensors without compromising spectral integrity.
- Hard & Environmental Coatings (DLC, Oxides):
Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coatings for Germanium and Silicon substrates, providing extreme scratch resistance and chemical durability in harsh environments.
Technical Case Study: Precision Spectral Control
- Cut-off & Bandpass Filters:
- UV-IR Separation: Cut-off filter achieving OD > 3 (200-880nm) and Tavg 96.45% (928-2500nm).
- Narrow Band Selection: Mid-IR bandpass filters with steep transitions (T > 90% in passband, T < 0.1% in rejection bands).
- Multi-Wavelength Anti-Reflection (AR):
- Six-Wavelength AR: Simultaneous high transmission (> 95.6%) for 355, 386, 407, 532, 607, and 1064nm on a single surface.
- UV Specific: T > 99.4% @ 370-380nm for specialized UV optical trains.
Standard Specifications of Optical Coatings
Material | Specifications | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Substrate | Surface Figure | Surface Quality | Chamfer | Coating Material | Clear Aperture | |
Copper | Fused Silica, H-K9L, etc. | – | 40-20 | 0.5mm, 45° | Ag, Al, Cr, etc. | > 90% of diameter |
Silver | Fused silica, BK7 | < λ/10 @ 632.8nm | 40-20 | 0.5mm, 45° | Silver | > 85% of diameter |
Aluminum | Fused silica, BK7 | < λ/10 @ 632.8nm | 40-20 | 0.5mm, 45° | Aluminum | > 85% of diameter |
Germanium | Germanium, ZnSe, etc. | – | 40-20 | 0.5mm, 45° | ZnS, YbF3, Ge, etc. | > 90% of diameter |
MgF2 | Fused Silica, H-K9L, etc. | – | 40-20 | 0.5mm, 45° | Al2O3, SiO3, HfO2, Ta@O5, etc. | > 90% of diameter |
Gold | Fused silica, BK7 | < λ/10 @ 632.8nm | 40-20 | 0.5mm, 45° | Gold | > 85% of diameter |
Chromium | Fused silica, BK7 | < λ/10 @ 632.8nm | 40-20 | 0.5mm, 45° | Chromium | > 85% of diameter |
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) | – | PV<λ/4 | 60-40 | 0.2mm, 45° | – | >90% of diameter |
Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) | – | PV<λ/4 | 60-40 | 0.2mm, 45° | – | >90% of diameter |
Fluorides | – | PV<λ/4 | 60-40 | 0.2mm, 45° | – | >90% of diameter |
Dielectric Coatings | – | PV<λ/4 | 60-40 | 0.2mm, 45° | – | >90% of diameter |
Diamond-Like Carbon Coatings | Silicon and Germanium | Contact us | Contact us | Contact us | – | Contact us |
Radiation-Hardened Coatings | Radiation-resistant polymers like epoxy resin and polyimide | PV<λ/4 | 40-20 | 0.2mm,45° | TiO2、SiO2 etc. | >90% of diameter |
Ready to Optimize Your Optical System?
From high-power laser mirrors to complex multi-band filters, our engineering team is ready to meet your most challenging coating specifications. Whether you need rapid prototyping or high-volume production, we deliver proven performance from UV to LWIR.
For more details about Avantier’s Optical Coatings,
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