Case Study: 400 – 700 nm AR 1 Side Sapphire Window

Case Study: Highly Durable Sputtered Anti-Reflection Coatings for Tough Environments

Customer Challenge: The end use of this lens was as a protective lens on an environmental monitoring device. This device would be exposed to the elements 365 days a year, so the coating had to be highly durable in a range of conditions.

Vortex’s Solution: At vortex all of our anti-reflection coatings are deposited using our advanced sputtering technology to produce robust and long-lasting optical coatings that will stand the test of time in the toughest of environments. Unlike traditional evaporation methods which are often used for anti-reflection coatings, sputtering deposits coatings with a much higher energy (up to 1000 times higher), resulting in superior adhesion and durability.

Once the coating was complete the following rigorous testing was completed:

• Abrasion and Severe Abrasion: Simulating harsh physical wear to ensure the coatings could withstand rough handling and abrasive conditions.
• Humidity: Exposing the filters to high humidity environments for 24 hours to test their resistance to moisture-induced degradation.
• Water Immersion: Submerging the filters in water for 24 hours to verify their durability and performance under prolonged water exposure.

The Result: We were able to deliver the specified coating, exceeding the specified minimum transmission levels as well as meeting all of the environmental specifications relating to MIL-F-48616. All parts passed the environmental tests and accompanying documentation was delivered alongside the parts.

This process is a standard anti reflection process and can be adapted to any refractive index or substrate, please contact us to discuss the specific details of your requirements.