Materion Balzers Optics
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- Offer Profile
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Enabling Innovative Optical Solutions
Today, Optics Balzers is a globally recognized leader in customized optical thin-film coatings and components for the photonics industry
The company possesses broad and in-depth knowhow in optical thin-film coating processes, complemented by sophisticated patterning, glass bonding and sealing, and further processing capabilities necessary for producing optical thinfilm coated components up to optical subassemblies.
Optics Balzers AG
Neugrüt 35
9496 Balzers
Liechtenstein
T +423 388 9200
F +423 388 9390
info@opticsbalzers.com
Product Portfolio
Next Events
Laser World of Photonics, Shanghai
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20. - 22. March 2019
Visit us!
LASER World of PHOTONICS CHINA, Asia’s largest trade fair for the photonics industry, has taken place in Shanghai every year since 2006. It presents the entire range of photonics in an international setting, tailored to the specific needs of the Chinese market.
We have the pleasure of welcoming you to Optics Balzers AG at Laser World of Photonics trade fair in Shanghai. Come to our booth to discover the unique solutions and the wide variety of applications that optical components allow. We look forward to welcoming you as our guest.
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Optical Components
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We possess comprehensive know-how in optical thin films, glass processing, photolithography and the production of multiple part components up to optical subassemblies. Our complete range of products and services caters to the precision optical industry and related fields in other application markets, including all the required optical components and assemblies as well as engineering assistance. As a fast, flexible and reliable supplier, we are eager to fulfill or even exceed your demanding requirements for quality, performance and delivery schedules.
Our optical components are manufactured in clean room environments with adapted state-of-the-art vacuum evaporation equipment or advanced high throughput sputter coating systems. A large variety of backend processes for patterning, shaping and dicing complement our manufacturing technology portfolio. Filters
- Our extensive filter capabilities include bandpass, dichroic, neutral density, heat protection, UV and color temperature conversion designs. All these designs deliver stable spectral characteristics, excellent environmental resistance, high durability and maximum transmission or blocking. They find use in a broad range of industrial applications, scientific instrumentation, or entertainment and architectural lighting.
Steep Edge Bandpass Filters
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Optics Balzers bandpass filters excel by steep transition between blockband, passband and high-passband transmittance (> 95%). The all-dielectric interference filters are deposited by plasma-assisted processes and show extreme environmental stability. Our sophisticated filter designs are optimized according to the requirements of the application.
Applications
- Gesture Recognition and Control for Automotive Applications
- TOF Camera for Gesture Recognition and Control
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Driver Assistance Camera
- Fluorescence Microscopy
- Light Curtains
- Raman Spectroscopy
- Range Finder
Narrow Bandpass Filters for Biomedical and Industrial Applications
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Optics Balzers narrow bandpass filters are characterized by high passband transmittance, accurate center wavelength, steep filter edges between pass- and blockband, and broadband blocking range. With typical passband width between 2 nm and 20 nm, and a blocking depth of OD5 the filters provide an excellent signal-to-noise ratio. In manifold applications, the filters are used to select the appropriate part of the spectrum either from a light source or in front of a photodetector.
Applications
- Gesture Recognition and Control for Automotive Applications
- TOF Camera for Gesture Recognition and Control
- Fluorescence Microscopy
- Remote Multi-Spectral Imaging
- Ring Laser Gyroscope
NIR Bandpass Filters
- NIR Bandpass Filter with Low Angle Dependency and High Performance Blocking. Gesture recognition and TOF systems like 3D imaging applications require best transmission performance in the range of the illumination wavelength (Laser or LED source) for a wide field of view. Outside the bandpass an extraordinary blocking is required to suppress the ambient illumination for a better contrast. The filters can be provided in various sizes and if required with B-Stage Epoxy or solderable coating frames for optional sealing.
NIR Bandpass Filters SP are used in various optical sensor applications for blocking both ambient visible and longer wavelength infrared light while selectively transmitting the signal light of a specified near infrared (NIR) spectral range used for the sensing application. NIR Bandpass Filters SP are key components to achieve very high signal-to-noise ratios in optical sensing or distance measuring applications. This superior signal-to-noise performance can either enable accurate distance measurement with lower signal light power or higher sensitivity and increased precision with standard signal light levels.Applications
- Gesture Recognition and Control for Automotive Applications
- TOF Camera for Gesture Recognition and Control
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Driver Assistance Camera
- Light Curtains
- Night Vision Systems
- Range Finder
- Remote Multi-Spectral Imaging
VIS, NIR and SWIR Bandpass Filters
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VIS, NIR and SWIR bandpass filters with standard or self-blocking filter design for spectral sensing and imaging combine wide blocking and high passband transmittance in a single all-dielectric interference coating. They feature extreme stability in terrestrial and space environments and are customized for Si, InGaAs or HgCdTe sensor applications.
Applications
- Gesture Recognition and Control for Automotive Applications
- Camera – Optical Imaging
- Remote Multi-Spectral Imaging
Calflex™ Heat Protection Filters
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Some designs of entertainment, medical, and architectural lights require additional heat reduction. In entertainment lighting, infrared filtering keeps performers in the spotlight as cool as possible. Optics Balzers’ Calflex™ filters reflect infrared radiation while transmitting visible light and allow for varying emission behaviors of different light sources. Calflex™ filters allow maximum transmission in the visible waveband without changing the colorimetric characteristics of the light source.
IR-Blocking Filters
Optics Balzers' IR-Blocker effectively removes unwanted infrared radiation produced by broadband light sources. A dielectric oxide coating design provides excellent transmission over the entire visible spectrum, without distorting the spectral emission of the light source. Filters can be optimized according to the spectral characteristic of the source and are particularly well suited for use in applications with high thermal loads.
Applications
- Filters
- CoatingPlus™
- Medical Lighting
Calflex™ 3000 SP - IR Blocking Filters
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Heat protection filters of type Calflex™ 3000 SP are high performance blocking filters for IR radiation. These filters are produced with Optics Balzers’ magnetron sputtering technology, providing very dense coatings with excellent optical stability both at high temperatures and under harsh environmental conditions. Calflex™ 3000 SP is automotive OEM qualified and meets the ECE white requirements.
Applications
- Medical Lighting
Conversion Filters
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Optics Balzers’ conversion filters adjust the color temperature of a light source with individual requirements while maintaining high color rendering and luminance. With conversion filters, customers in photography, merchandising and the film industry can set their light sources to the right color temperature.
Applications
- Medical Lighting
Dichroic Filters / Mirrors
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Dichroic filters/mirrors meet very narrow spectral band edge tolerances, highest degree of spectral stability and very low residual optical absorption loss. The dichroic filters/mirrors are produced with a unique sputtering deposition process, providing very dense filter coatings with excellent optical and mechanical stability, both at higher operating temperatures and under varying environmental conditions.
Applications
- Entertainment Lighting
- Intelligent Headlights
- Micromachining – Laser Scanning / Marking
- Raman Spectroscopy
Patterned Dichroic Filters - Multiple Spectral Filters on a Single Component
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Multispectral image sensors require cover glass lids with integrated color selective dichroic filters. Optics Balzers provides patterned color filters for selective spectral filtering on different zones of the cover glass lids. Such dichroic filters may include R/G/B, NIR and PAN Filters or monochrome UV or IR Filters. The individual filter zones may be masked with an opaque chrome layer containing alignment marks.
Various optical filter coatings are arranged on a common substrate by a sophisticated photolithography technique, or by using vapor shadow masks. The monolithic filter-arrays are produced with no expense for mounting or assembling. Plasma-assisted deposition guarantees high performance and long-term stable filter characteristics.Applications
- Driver Assistance Camera
- Earth Observation
- Remote Multi-Spectral Imaging
Dichrolight™ Color Filters
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Dichrolight™ color filters are mainly used in the fields of entertainment and architectural
lighting. The Optics Balzers’ Dichrolight™ filters feature highly saturated colors, temperature-independent spectral characteristics, optimum mechanical and thermal stability and close tolerance color characteristics.
Applications
- Entertainment Lighting
Dichrolight™ Patterned Filters
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For entertainment and architectural lighting industries, we provide photolithography patterning on any Dichrolight™ color filters. Customers can select patterning on filters produced either by reliable Optics Balzers e-beam or sputtering processes. These can be patterned in 20 micron resolution with sharp and well-defined edges. Since we perform the patterning process in-house, customers have a single source for all lighting component needs.
Applications
- Entertainment Lighting
Fluorescence Filter Sets
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Optics Balzers fluorescence filter sets include excitation and emission filters (bandpass, shortpass or longpass) as well as a dichroic beamsplitter. Cut-on and cut-off wavelengths of the filters are optimized for the excitation light source and for the fluorescent dye. The filter performance is realized by all-dielectric hard coatings deposited onto a single substrate. Because absorbing glasses and filter mounts are not needed, there is a high flexibility for the filter dimensions in compact optical set-ups.
Applications
- Biochip Applications
- Fluorescence Microscopy
GoboXtreme™ Dark
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Optics Balzers’ GoboXtreme™ Dark is a high performance glass black & white gobo blank that provides extended thermal stability and lifetime compared to conventional gobos. The high performance single side coated design combines both:
- a “white part”: highly reflective aluminum mirror that faces the lamp, transmitting light only where coating is removed to reveal the gobo image pattern, and
- a “black part”: highly absorbing multi-layer coating that faces the lens and absorbs incident light to maximize contrast and prevent image ghosting.
Applications
- Entertainment Lighting
GoboXtreme™ Animation Wheel
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Designer in the entertainment lighting industry uses the Animation Wheel for the most sophisticated effects. The GoboXtreme™ Animation Wheel pushes contrast and multiple image suppression to new levels. Incorporating the GoboXtreme™ Dark coating known from Gobo applications it performs with the white side and black side as described.
Applications
- Entertainment Lighting
IR-Blocking Filters
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Optics Balzers' IR-Blocker effectively removes unwanted infrared radiation produced by broadband light sources. A dielectric oxide coating design provides excellent transmission over the entire visible spectrum, without distorting the spectral emission of the light source. Filters can be optimized according to the spectral characteristic of the source and are particularly well suited for use in applications with high thermal loads.
Applications
- Entertainment Lighting
Laser Safety Filters
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In ophthalmology instruments, laser safety filters block the therapy laser with high optical density, while showing a high transmittance for the image of the patient's eye background. A sophisticated filter design with narrow blockband and balanced transmission level over the full visible range optimizes color rendering. The
beam splitter controls transmittance and reflectance for both therapy and target laser. The hard-coated filters are
long-term stable and available in flexible dimensions.
Applications
- Ophthalmologic Surgery
LED ColorDichroics™ – Dichroic Filters/Mirrors for LED Applications
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Optics Balzers’ LED ColorDichroics™ are used to efficiently transmit and/or reflect the light from light emitting diode (LED) sources. These dichroic filters/mirrors are designed to combine light emitted from different color LEDs into one beam. The thin-film coatings of these LED ColorDichroics™ are specifically optimized for random polarized light. Both the high reflection and the high transmission wavelength ranges are specifically adapted to LED spectral emission characteristics.
Applications
- Entertainment Lighting
NightVision™ Filters
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With active night vision systems, carmakers are setting new standards in order to prevent drivers from encountering critical situations while traveling during the nighttime. Optics Balzers' NightVision™ Filters offer as yet unsurpassed performance, enabling maximum near-infrared light throughput while reducing the visible light by a factor of 1000 with no visible red leakage. With the help of those VIS light blockers with high NIR transmission the reproduction of objects on the display can be improved significantly.
Applications
- Night Vision Systems
Narrowband Single- and Multi-Notch Filters
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Notch filters allow blocking a specific wavelength of light (up to > OD6), while showing high transmittance for the remaining part of the spectrum. The bandwidth of the blockband can be as narrow as 10 nm in the VIS range. Multi-notch filters block up to 4 different wavelengths. Notch filters are composed of a complex multilayer stack deposited onto glass substrates. They can be designed for user defined blocking wavelength, blocking depth and angle of incidence.
Applications
- Ophthalmologic Surgery
- Remote Multi-Spectral Imaging
Raman Filters - Optical Filters for Raman Spectroscopy
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Optics Balzers Raman filters are key components for highly sensitive Raman spectroscopy. Laser blocking filters (longpass, shortpass or notch), laser cleaning filters (narrow bandpass) and dichroic beamsplitters are available for all laser wavelengths between 260 and 1550 nm. The filter performance is realized by all-dielectric hard coatings deposited onto a single substrate. There is a high flexibility for the filter dimensions as required by compact optical set-ups.
Applications
- Raman Spectroscopy
SoFi™ Solar Filters
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Solar conversion filters increase the performance of solar simulators by converting the radiation of a technical light source into a spectral distribution equivalent to the sunlight. With Optics Balzers SoFi™ solar conversion filters "better than class A" (according to IEC 60904-9) is achievable for different lamp types (eg. Xenon or Metal Halide). In addition to these international standards Optics Balzers is also able to meet customer specific spectral requirements in the UV, VIS and NIR spectral range.
All-Dielectric UV-Filters from 200 nm to VIS Range
- Optics Balzers provides custom-tailored all-dielectric UV-filters from 200nm to the VIS range. Bandpass filters, edge filters and various other filter types are available on request. Blocking levels as low as OD5 can be achieved. The blocking is realized mainly by reflection, which yields to good irradiation resistance. The all-dielectric filters exhibit extreme environmental stability and possess a long lifetime
UV-Guard™
- White light arc lamps produce UV and IR radiation that can damage microdisplay panels, polarizing foils and other components used in projection display systems. Optics Balzers' UV-Guard™ filters block these wavelength ranges of the lamp’s spectrum while providing excellent transmission for visible light. Manufactured with the sputter coating process, UV-Guard™ filters provide the highest degree of spectral stability, both at high operating temperatures and under varying environmental conditions. UV-Guard™ filters withstand the highest light flux levels from high power UHP and Xenon arc lamps and do not affect colors of the transmitted visible light.
UV/IR-Blockers
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Optics Balzers UV/IR-Blockers effectively remove damaging ultraviolet and unwanted infrared radiation, while ensuring maximum visible light transmission. Such filters are indispensable, especially in conjunction with high power broadband light sources. For applications such as museum lighting, filtering out UV rays protects delicate artifacts.
A dielectric oxide coating design provides excellent transmission over the entire visible spectrum, without distorting the spectral emission of the light source. Filters are optimized for metal halide lamps and are particularly well suited for use in applications where high thermal loads exist. Where infrared radiation is not critical the Optics Balzers UV-Blocker can be used.
Mirrors
- Our enhanced metallic mirrors and hard dielectric multi-layer coatings combine high reflectivity and excellent long-term stability. Metallic mirrors function over an extremely broad spectral range, while dielectric mirrors deliver even higher reflectivity over a shorter wavelength range. Mirrors designed to minimize polarization dependent effects are also available.
Alflex™ - High Reflectivity Aluminum Mirror
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The versatile aluminum mirrors show an excellent stable performance in a wide range of application. The Alflex™ standard mirror has proven itself many times over by its hardness and durability. The Alflex™ product line incorporates a broadband and a color optimized narrow band mirror. Depending on the application it is generally insensitive to polarization and angle of incidence over a wide range. All types of Alflex™ are equipped with a protective layer.
Applications
- Combiner Head-Up Display
- Windshield Head-Up Display
- Adaptive Cruise Control
BrightSlide™ D - Fluorescence Enhancing Slide
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Fluorescence systems (e.g. microscopes) are today widely used in the life science research. For many applications an increased sensitivity compared to existing glass slides is required. The BrightSlide™ technology uses a proprietary dielectric coating to significantly enhance the signal intensity of fluorescent molecules from the surface. It can be read out with almost any system that illuminates and detects from the top. The technology makes use of only optical principles and substitutes conventional glass substrates.
Applications
- Fluorescence Microscopy
Chirped Mirrors for GDD
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Pulse reflection at a dielectric mirror leads to a broadening from the pulses
and the reflected signal is modified. Different wavelengths pass the coating
layers with different speed and the pulse itself is e.g. delayed. The pulse
energy is also affected by this phenomenon, which leads to a reduced energy
level. To overcome these effects, dispersion-controlled mirrors can be designed.
Our coating design is precisely adapted to the required spectral performance and
sets available in customized configurations.
Applications
- Micromachining – Laser Scanning / Marking
Cold Mirrors
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Cold mirrors reflect visible light and allow the transmission of infrared radiation. In general, these mirrors are used at an angle of incidence of 45°, thus reducing the temperature load of a light source by heat-light separation. Plane cold mirrors are an additional component of a high performance heat management system.
Applications
- Windshield Head-Up Display
- Entertainment Lighting
Diflex™ Broadband Dielectric Mirrors - All-Purpose Solution for High Reflectivity Mirrors
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Optics Balzers provides the best choice of broadband high reflectivity mirrors. Diflex™ mirrors are characterized by extreme reflectivity, low scattering and a wide acceptance range for the angle of incidence. The consistent and high reflectivity for any polarization covers the wavelength range between 320 nm to 2000 nm. Diflex™ mirror coatings are composed of metall-oxide layers. They withstand harsh environmental conditions and can be cleaned repeatedly.
Applications
- Manufacturing – Laser Scanning / Marking
- Micromachining – Laser Scanning / Marking
Goldflex™ - Non-Polarizing NIR Beamsteering Mirror
- All types of network and optical sensing devices utilize light which needs to be routed by reflectors. To optimize this, Goldflex™, a novel, gold based metallic reflector is recommended. It is characterized by excellent reflectivity and lowest polarization dependence through all telecom bands in the near infrared range. In addition to outstanding environmental durability this reflector increases the quality and efficiency of network devices. Optics Balzers offers a broad range of bonding techniques, based on experience in a wide range of applications and volume productions. Goldflex™ coated glass tested for 1000 hours after Telcordia GR-1221.
Dichroic Filters / Mirrors
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Dichroic filters/mirrors meet very narrow spectral band edge tolerances, highest degree of spectral stability and very low residual optical absorption loss. The dichroic filters/mirrors are produced with a unique sputtering deposition process, providing very dense filter coatings with excellent optical and mechanical stability, both at higher operating temperatures and under varying environmental conditions.
Applications
- Entertainment Lighting
- Intelligent Headlights
- Micromachining – Laser Scanning / Marking
- Raman Spectroscopy
GoboXtreme™ Dark
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Optics Balzers’ GoboXtreme™ Dark is a high performance glass black & white gobo blank that provides extended thermal stability and lifetime compared to conventional gobos. The high performance single side coated design combines both:
- a “white part”: highly reflective aluminum mirror that faces the lamp, transmitting light only where coating is removed to reveal the gobo image pattern, and
- a “black part”: highly absorbing multi-layer coating that faces the lens and absorbs incident light to maximize contrast and prevent image ghosting
Applications
- Entertainment Lighting
GoboXtreme™ Animation Wheel
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Designer in the entertainment lighting industry uses the Animation Wheel for the most sophisticated effects. The GoboXtreme™ Animation Wheel pushes contrast and multiple image suppression to new levels. Incorporating the GoboXtreme™ Dark coating known from Gobo applications it performs with the white side and black side as described.
Applications
- Entertainment Lighting
Laser Mirrors
- The product program for Laser mirrors includes standard components as well as customized laser beamsteering mirrors. Based on high performance technologies like IBS manufactured coating, we are able to supply high reflective mirrors. The reflectivity is greater than 99.9 % from 0° to 45° at 1064 nm for all polarizations. This coating technology produces significantly more dens coating with lower defects. In fact, low defect mirror surfaces reduce scattering and absorption which increases the laser damage thresholds significantly
Laser Beamsteering Mirrors - First Choice for All Mirror Applications
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Optics Balzers designs and produces flat mirrors for use in all mirror applications. Their features are excellent quality, impressive flatness, low scattering and they are easy to use over a wide range of angles and wavelengths because of their consistent reflectivity. Dielectric coated mirrors are extremely durable; they have a long lifetime and can be cleaned repeatedly.
Compare the surface quality of Optics Balzers laser mirrors to that of others and you will find no laser mirror with this convincing quality in this price rangeApplications
- Manufacturing – Laser Scanning / Marking
- Micromachining – Laser Scanning / Marking
- Ring Laser Gyroscope
Ring Laser Gyroscope Mirrors
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RLG (Ring Laser Gyroscope) require mirrors and outcoupling coatings with very low absorption and scattering loss, high resistance to plasma environment and long durability. Optics Balzers provides such coatings done by Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS) with outstanding spectral performance and very low defect levels according to customer's specifications. IBS coatings find various applications where low loss and accurate performance is needed such as high finesse etalons.
Applications
- Ring Laser Gyroscope
Cavity Mirrors
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The cavity (or resonator) mirrors are high reflecting (HR) or output coupling (OC) mirrors for gas or solid state lasers resonators. Combined they generate the necessary feedback for the stimulated emission of the lasing wavelength. The HR mirror has a reflectivity close to 100 % for the Laser wavelength and high transmission for the pump light wavelength, while the output coupling mirror reflects the Laser beam to a certain level. Cavity mirrors can be planar or concave/convex mirrors made of N-BK7 or fused silica. The coating technology is chosen according to the requirements. Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS) can be applied if necessary.
Applications
- Micromachining – Laser Scanning / Marking
Laser Scanning Mirrors - Mirrors for High Performance Laser Scanning Applications
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Optics Balzers offers a large variety of customer specific Laser scanning mirrors as they are applied for example in mirror galvanometer scanner units. High reflectivity R ≥ 99.5 % for 1064 nm for a customized large range of angles of incidence, e.g. from 22° to 57° allows this coating to be applied for example in scanning units for laser marking.
Applications
- Manufacturing – Laser Scanning / Marking
- Micromachining – Laser Scanning / Marking
LED ColorDichroics™ – Dichroic Filters/Mirrors for LED Applications
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Optics Balzers’ LED ColorDichroics™ are used to efficiently transmit and/or reflect the light from light emitting diode (LED) sources. These dichroic filters/mirrors are designed to combine light emitted from different color LEDs into one beam. The thin-film coatings of these LED ColorDichroics™ are specifically optimized for random polarized light. Both the high reflection and the high transmission wavelength ranges are specifically adapted to LED spectral emission characteristics
Applications
- Entertainment Lighting
Ultra Short Pulse Mirrors
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Mirrors for ultra short pulse laser are available for several wavelengths in the
VIS and NIR range. These components are used in numerous applications such as
ultra precision material processing, spectroscopy and telecommunication.
Femtosecond pulses are generated by Ti:Sapphire lasers, solid state lasers or on
the basis of rare earth metal doped crystals. The design and development of our
laser mirrors are driven by these technologies. The production using magnetron
sputtering technologies furthermore offers a high laser damage threshold value.
Applications
- Micromachining – Laser Scanning / Marking
Silflex™ - High Reflectivity Metallic Mirrors
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Mirrors with a Silflex™ coating can be used over a broad spectral range with a reflectivity better than 98 % from 450 nm to beyond 12 μm. Their proprietary silver-based coating makes them highly reflective from 0° to 45° and virtually insensitive to polarization. Protective dielectric coatings make them resistant to tarnish and oxidation. Silflex™ is the coating of choice for many astronomy applications. Plus they have minimal phase distortion, so they are useful for ultrafast-pulsed applications with Ti:Sapphire and other lasers.
Applications
- Combiner Head-Up Display
- Windshield Head-Up Display
- Adaptive Cruise Control
Prisms
- Flat and cube type beamsplitters, used for color separation, polarization conversion and polarization separation, are key optical components in modern LCD data and video projectors for example. Dedicated, high volume production of these components allows us to maintain the most rigorous quality requirements for spectral performance and angular accuracy.
LightGate™ for DLP Projection
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Setting higher standards for TIR and RTIR Prism Assemblies
New competence has enabled Optics Balzers to improve the standards in LightGateTM manufacturing (aka TIR and RTIR prisms). Our bonding technology reduces the air-gap height to 2 μm and provides complete air-gap sealing, resulting in less long-term image degradation by preventing dust or gas from entering the gap. Precision blackening technology allows accurate positioning and patterning of the absorptive paint. Envisioning a growing market, all processes have been automated to meet high quality standards at very large production volumes.Applications
- Projection Display - Portable & Embedded
- Projection Display – Large Venue & Cinema
Polarizing Beamsplitters (PBS)
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Projection systems based on reflective light valves are driving the need for advanced polarizing beamsplitter (PBS) cubes.
Optics Balzers has recently developed a cost-effective, high-volume manufacturing process for the production of PBS with small physical dimensions. Besides custom-designed beamsplitter coatings, additional optical coatings (e.g. anti-reflective, black chrome) can be applied to individual faces of the PBS. The patterning of selective coatings completes the customer specific PBS portfolio from Optics Balzers.Applications
- Combiner Head-Up Display
- Near-Eye Application for Defence
Microoptics
Microoptics - Coating Service
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The segment Microoptics handles the coating of lenses and rod lenses with diameters from 0.8 - 12.0 mm, used for example in endoscopes. The main service from Optics Balzers is the coating of substrates provided by the customer.
Our coatings in the field of microoptics and coating service are:- Iralin™: an antireflection coating to minimize reflection loss
- Broadband-AR: for example Triolin™
- Laser-AR: for example Laser Transmax™, Duolin™
- Black-Chrome: absorbing layer for the visible range
- Gelot™: a solderable gold coating, either patterned or on the whole substrate
- Patterning: all the various coatings can be patterned as well
Our strengths:- Fast turnaround
- Very extensive know-how in the field of substrate cleaning and application of advanced cleaning processes
- Continuous monitoring of reliable coating processes by experienced coating engineers
- In-house tool design and specialized tool manufacture using CNC-controlled equipment
- State-of-the-art systems engineering and advanced measurement processes
Lids / Windows
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Silicon based devices such as MEMS, CCD/CMOS sensors or LCOS microdisplays are packaged with cover glasses. These cover glasses consist of clean surfaces plus functional coatings - such as AR coatings, NIR blocking filters or index matched ITO. Where needed chrome apertures can be provided, as well as solderable frames, B-stage epoxy frames or soldered Kovar lids as packaging solutions.
A key factor of Optics Balzers' sensor lids is the superior low defect properties of the coatings as they define the quality of the device. Sealing or bonding solutions for the subsequent assembly process are an integral part of the products offered. 
Lids for Microdisplays
- The optical performance of a microdisplay depends highly on the quality of its cover glass. It is not only an outstanding spectral performance of the antireflection coating – state-of-the-art defect levels and excellent cosmetics of the glass surface play an important role. Optics Balzers has extended these capabilities to substrates up to 200 mm discs to support Wafer Level Packaging requirements – including chrome apertures and features for ease of assembly of the lid to the sensor
Brewster Windows
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Brewster windows are designed to operate at an angle of incident. They transmit linearly polarized light in the p-plane and reflect about 50 % of the s-plane component. Usually they are uncoated. Coated Brewster windows enhance the reflectance of the s-polarization component but they reduce the power. These windows are ideal for producing linearly polarized light within laser cavities. Special machining processes with extra qualified substrate material allow us to provide optical components with the special Brewster characteristics in customized dimensions and with high volumes.
Applications
- Manufacturing – Laser Scanning / Marking
CorrSlide™ - Correlative Microscopy Coverslip, ITO coated, with high precision fiducials
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Correlative microscopy is a sophisticated approach combining the imaging capabilities of different, powerful but typically separated microscopy platforms. Laborious, time consuming and limited precision procedures of getting a sample from one instrument to another have been so far one of the biggest struggles in obtaining fast and reliable results.
CorrSlide™ technology uses integrated, high precision fiducials which enable easy relocation of samples and finding of exactly the same spot on a sample with micron precision under different resolutions and imaging techniques. Transparent conductive oxide coating (ITO) allows sample investigation under light microscopy and supports charge drain in electron scanning microscopy. It is also compatible with cell cultures and suitable for cells growth.
CorrSlide™ can be provided with or without fiducial marks.
Patterned Dichroic Filters - Multiple Spectral Filters on a Single Component
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Multispectral image sensors require cover glass lids with integrated color selective dichroic filters. Optics Balzers provides patterned color filters for selective spectral filtering on different zones of the cover glass lids. Such dichroic filters may include R/G/B, NIR and PAN Filters or monochrome UV or IR Filters. The individual filter zones may be masked with an opaque chrome layer containing alignment marks.
Various optical filter coatings are arranged on a common substrate by a sophisticated photolithography technique, or by using vapor shadow masks. The monolithic filter-arrays are produced with no expense for mounting or assembling. Plasma-assisted deposition guarantees high performance and long-term stable filter characteristics.Applications
- Driver Assistance Camera
- Earth Observation
- Remote Multi-Spectral Imaging
NIR Bandpass Filters
- NIR Bandpass Filter with Low Angle Dependency and High Performance Blocking. Gesture recognition and TOF systems like 3D imaging applications require best transmission performance in the range of the illumination wavelength (Laser or LED source) for a wide field of view. Outside the bandpass an extraordinary blocking is required to suppress the ambient illumination for a better contrast. The filters can be provided in various sizes and if required with B-Stage Epoxy or solderable coating frames for optional sealing.
NIR Bandpass Filters SP are used in various optical sensor applications for blocking both ambient visible and longer wavelength infrared light while selectively transmitting the signal light of a specified near infrared (NIR) spectral range used for the sensing application. NIR Bandpass Filters SP are key components to achieve very high signal-to-noise ratios in optical sensing or distance measuring applications. This superior signal-to-noise performance can either enable accurate distance measurement with lower signal light power or higher sensitivity and increased precision with standard signal light levels.Applications
- Gesture Recognition and Control for Automotive Applications
- TOF Camera for Gesture Recognition and Control
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Driver Assistance Camera
- Light Curtains
- Night Vision Systems
- Range Finder
- Remote Multi-Spectral Imaging
Splitters / Combiners
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Beamsplitters - either as cubes or plates - can be used to separate incoming light in two intensities, polarizations or wavelength ranges. For analytical purposes a portion can be separated from the incident beam or a selected wavelength can be extracted from or coupled into the optical path. The variety goes from simple plates to sophisticated beamsplitter assemblies. Such components are typically customized and can include custom IP.
Used in the reverse direction, combiners converge two separate light beams into one beam while filtering a specific wavelength range from each incoming beam. 
Combiner
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A beamsplitter, applied on the front side of the combiner, reflects the image
generated by the PGU. The driver can easily read car-relevant information on the
combiner while being able to see through the combiner at the same time. The
reflectance to transmission ratio can be adjusted to the customers need. A
broadband AR coating on the substrate’s rear side enhances the overall combiner
performance. All coatings are produced with Optics Balzers’ robust magnetron
sputtering technology.
Applications
- Combiner Head-Up Display
Dichroic Beamsplitters
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Our dichroic beamsplitters meet very narrow spectral band edge tolerances. They
ensure maximum spectral stability and very low residual optical absorption
losses. Special steep edge designs enable very narrow spectral transition zones
between high reflecting and high transmitting wavelength regions even for
randomly polarized light. The all-dielectric interference filters are deposited
by plasma-assisted processes and show extreme environmental stability. Filter
dimension, spectral performance and angle of incidence can be optimized
according to customer requirements.
Applications
- Combiner Head-Up Display
- Manufacturing – Laser Scanning / Marking
- Ophthalmologic Surgery
- Ring Laser Gyroscope
Transflex™ - Neutral Beamsplitter
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A Beam will be split into a Reflected and a Transmitted Component with high Uniformity
The splitting occurs uniformly on the entire mirror surface. Therefore the beam splitter can be installed in any location of a light path under an angle of 45° without interfering the optical imaging. The Neutral Beamsplitters are composed of absorption free dielectric coating. All Neutral Beamsplitters are available with a broadband antireflection coating on the rear side, on request.
Polarizing Beamsplitters (PBS)
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Projection systems based on reflective light valves are driving the need for advanced polarizing beamsplitter (PBS) cubes.
Optics Balzers has recently developed a cost-effective, high-volume manufacturing process for the production of PBS with small physical dimensions. Besides custom-designed beamsplitter coatings, additional optical coatings (e.g. anti-reflective, black chrome) can be applied to individual faces of the PBS. The patterning of selective coatings completes the customer specific PBS portfolio from Optics Balzers.Applications
- Combiner Head-Up Display
- Near-Eye Application for Defence
Patterned Products
- Optics Balzers offers patterning solutions for high quality optical components. Depending on the product and its applications, various patterning techniques such as photolithography, laser ablation or masked coatings are available to meet a broad range of customer requirements for feature sizes and shapes. The lift-off technology allows the deposition of filter arrays onto cover glasses or directly onto photodetector wafers.
Patterned Chrome
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Full-surface and patterned chrome coatings on planar components are widely used in the optical and semiconductor industry. Optics Balzers puts its emphasis on high resolution, low defect patterns - optionally in combination with low defect functional coatings. With CrBlack™ coating, Optics Balzers additionally offers an optical black coating, characterized by high absorption and low reflection in the VIS range. Applications include background noise reduction in fluorescence sensors and precise alignment marks in correlative microscopy.
Applications
- Earth Observation
Patterned Dichroic Filters - Multiple Spectral Filters on a Single Component
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Multispectral image sensors require cover glass lids with integrated color selective dichroic filters. Optics Balzers provides patterned color filters for selective spectral filtering on different zones of the cover glass lids. Such dichroic filters may include R/G/B, NIR and PAN Filters or monochrome UV or IR Filters. The individual filter zones may be masked with an opaque chrome layer containing alignment marks.
Various optical filter coatings are arranged on a common substrate by a sophisticated photolithography technique, or by using vapor shadow masks. The monolithic filter-arrays are produced with no expense for mounting or assembling. Plasma-assisted deposition guarantees high performance and long-term stable filter characteristics.Applications
- Driver Assistance Camera
- Earth Observation
- Remote Multi-Spectral Imaging
Micro-Patterned Interference Filters on Wafer
- The spectral response of photodiodes, phototransistors or CMOS sensors can be modified by micro-patterned interference filter coatings. The coatings are applied by photolithographic technology on 2 to 8 inch wafer sizes. Bondpads are kept free. The high positioning accuracy allows several filters to be deposited onto adjacent photodetectors on a die.
CorrSlide™ - Correlative Microscopy Coverslip, ITO coated, with high precision fiducials
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Correlative microscopy is a sophisticated approach combining the imaging capabilities of different, powerful but typically separated microscopy platforms. Laborious, time consuming and limited precision procedures of getting a sample from one instrument to another have been so far one of the biggest struggles in obtaining fast and reliable results.
CorrSlide™ technology uses integrated, high precision fiducials which enable easy relocation of samples and finding of exactly the same spot on a sample with micron precision under different resolutions and imaging techniques. Transparent conductive oxide coating (ITO) allows sample investigation under light microscopy and supports charge drain in electron scanning microscopy. It is also compatible with cell cultures and suitable for cells growth.
CorrSlide™ can be provided with or without fiducial marks.
Optical Coatings
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The core competencies of Optics Balzers are design and manufacturing of high precision dielectric and metal thin-film optical coatings. Optics Balzers' coatings are characterized by excellent spectral performance, low defect density and superior environmental stability. The coatings are produced with state-of-the-art evaporation and sputtering equipment platforms with process and product specific adaptations. The coating processes are both customized to the specific product requirements and optimized for high yield production. Precise monitoring of the coating processes ensures consistent and high quality in volume manufacturing.
Coating Service
Optics Balzers has combined reliable coating services with a full range of technology and solutions to support your business needs for 65 years. Make the Optics Balzers coating center your preferred supplier for up-to-date thin-film technology for precision optics and more. Dielectric Coatings
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Dielectric Filters/Mirrors are very stable, absorption-free multi-layer interference coatings. They allow highly accurate and efficient separation of individual regions of the UV, visible and NIR spectra. Typical applications are color and heat management, separation of visible and NIR spectra, laser beamsteering and bandpass filtering. Optics Balzers' proprietary sputter technology produces dense and shift-free coatings which are extremely stable in the presence of operating temperature variations and under harsh environmental conditions.
Dielectric coatings offer specific optical and functional properties:
- Wavelength range 200-3000 nm
- Wide variety of materials: oxides, fluorides, sulphides
- Wide variety of substrates: high-index / low-index glasses, sapphire, plastic, semiconductor (active) wafers, metallic
- Based on long experience and sophisticated monitoring during production: several hundreds of layers possible
- Wide variety of deposition tools and methods adjusted to technical needs and commercial / high-volume production requirements
- Environmental stability tested in accordance with the requirements of automotive and consumer electronics industry
- Excellent Laser Induced Damage Threshold LIDT
Metallic Coatings
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Optics Balzers is capable of enhancing and protecting the metal coatings for outstanding optical performance and environmental durability
Metallic Coatings offer specific optical and functional properties:
- Excellent reflectivity over wide wavelength ranges for front surface mirrors
- High optical density for light blocking and aperture applications
- Insensitivity to angle of incidence and polarization for beam steering components
- High resolution apertures with low reflecting patterned chrome
- Solderable Gelot™ coating
- Tailoring of spectral performance with dielectric coatings
- Metal mirrors based on Al (Alflex™), Ag (Silflex™), and Au (Goldflex™)
- Silflex™ with reflectivity down to 350 nm, Alflex™ with UV reflectivity down to 200 nm
- Silver-based non-polarizing beam splitter coating
- Chrome / black chrome: pin hole > 10 µm free deposition
- Excellent environmental stability tested in accordance with different market requirements
Anti-Reflection Coatings
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Anti-reflection coatings are used to increase optical transmission performance and minimize ghost effects.
Optics Balzers' AR coatings are extremely precise and stable. The spectral width can be chosen from narrow up to ultra-broadband in the UV, visible and NIR spectral range.
Optics Balzers offers a variety of broadband anti-reflection coatings to cover a large field of applications: For example Iralin™, a multilayer AR-coating designed for maximum efficiency in the visible range. The Iralin™ family can be shifted either into the UV range down to 350 nm or into the near infrared up to 1100 nm. 
Iralin™ - Duolin™ - Supertriolin™ - Broadband Anti-Reflection Coatings
- Optics Balzers offers a range of different anti-reflection coatings to cover a large field of applications. Multilayer AR-coatings designed for maximum efficiency in the visible range. Our Iralin™ family can be shifted either into the UV range down to 350 nm or into the near infrared up to 1100 nm. Duolin™ is laid out for the visible range plus an additional laser line. This can be any conventional low power laser. Supertriolin™ covers a very broad range of the spectrum between 450 nm up to 1100 nm. The bandwidth can even be extended as well at the cost of slightly higher reflectivity. All these coatings are useable for most commercial glass substrates.
NIR-Transmax™ - AR Coating for a Broad NIR Range
- Ultimate Efficiency for NIR Sensors and Optical Network Devices NIR-TRANSMAX™ (Near-Infrared), an Optics Balzers product, is a broadband multilayer AR (antireflection) coating. It is designed to exhibit lowest reflection in the range from 1250–1650 nm (S-, C- and L-band range) simultaneously. It reduces the insert loss to R
Low Defect Coatings
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Avoiding defects is always important in optical applications; cleanliness is at the heart of everything we do. However, for certain applications, it is even more important that the defect level is as low as possible.
Such applications include sensor lids, where the coated substrate is close to the sensor elements with pixel sizes down to the micron range. For laser coatings with high laser power, coating defects are the starting point of laser-induced damage to the coating. In many biomedical applications, any kinds of particles and contamination are unacceptable.Low Defect Anti-Reflective Coatings
Optical coatings on lids for high performance digital image sensors require very low densities of small defect sizes. Broadband anti-reflective coatings with low residual reflections and spectrally neutral performance eliminate ghost effects. Optics Balzers offers superior low defect coatings and components produced in the cleanroom area.
- Filter coatings with efficient near infrared (NIR) and optional ultraviolet (UV) blocking tightly shape the sensors' spectral response and limit the unwanted wavelength range. Details of spectral filter characteristics and wavelength ranges are optimized for customer specific requirements and applications.
- Sensor internal reflections (ghost effects) can be eliminated by the use of an aperture on the sensor lid. Precision apertures are based on sputtered low reflectance chrome coating with a photolithography patterned clear aperture.
Patterned Coatings
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Different patterning technologies are available at Optics Balzers depending on feature size and material to be patterned
For dielectric coatings, be it for any type of filter or AR coatings, a structured photoresist and lift-off technology are used: at a low temperature, the coating is deposited onto the substrate which is already coated with the patterned photoresist, and the coating is removed by lift-off together with the photoresist. Recent advances allow us to apply this technology for very large filter thicknesses of > 10 µm. Chrome-based layers are typically removed by wet etching: After coating, the chrome layer is covered with a photoresist, the photoresist is patterned and the chrome layer is removed chemically at the opened surfaces. This process produces very well-defined edges with a jaggedness of For quality control, an automated optical inspection system is used, which automatically checks for defects and confirms that the specified pattern dimensions were produced.
Optics Balzers offers patterning solutions for all high quality optical coatings described above. Depending on the product and its applications, various patterning techniques are available to meet a broad range of customer requirements for feature sizes and shapes:
Laser Ablation
- Laser ablation offers novel opportunities in patterning of optical filter coatings. By using adapted processes for each specific application, high precision patterns can be produced on the coated components. Laser ablation offers excellent flexibility for customized shapes and patterns together with high speed processing capabilities.
Photolithography (Wet etching, Reactive ion etching, Lift-off)
- Photolithography capabilities such as etching and lift-off techniques allow the production of precision patterned coatings and submicron gratings. The photolithography techniques are specifically used in producing masked cover lids for MEMS devices and CCD/CMOS image sensors.
Masked Coatings
- Precision etched metal masks attached to the substrates provide patterned coatings during the coating process. While the achievable feature sizes and shapes are limited with direct masking, patterning can be applied with almost any coating process and coating material, also with processes that require higher temperatures.
Special Coatings
- The core competencies of Optics Balzers are design and manufacturing of high precision dielectric and metal thin film optical coatings. Optics Balzers' coatings are characterized by excellent spectral performance, low defect density and superior environmental stability. The coatings are produced with state-of-the-art evaporation and sputtering equipment platforms with process and product specific adaptations. The coating processes are both customized to the specific product requirements and optimized for high yield production. Precise monitoring of the coating processes ensures consistent and high quality in volume manufacturing.
TopFlex™ - Hydrophobic Coating
- TopFlex™ hydrophobic coatings are chemically resistant to water, oil and grease. This UV to IR transparent top-layer is easy to clean and also dirt-repellent. The coating exhibits a good adherence to the substrate and other coatings and is highly resistant to various forms of cleaning processes.
Customer Specific Coatings
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Thin-film coatings are designed to the specific customer requirements with special consideration of their applications. The designs are carefully optimized for high process stability and repeatability to ensure a consistent and reliable component production process.
Through partnerships and cooperation, we can innovate with you. Our engineers work with clients to provide customized thin films and components which match your needs. Coating Plus
Patterning
- Optics Balzers offers patterning solutions for high quality optical components. Depending on the product and its applications, various patterning techniques are available to meet a broad range of customer requirements for feature sizes and shapes. The lift-off technology allows the deposition of filter arrays onto cover glasses or directly onto photodetector wafers.
Photolithography (Wet etching, Reactive ion etching, Lift-off)
- Photolithography capabilities such as etching and lift-off techniques allow the production of precision patterned coatings and submicron gratings. The photolithography techniques are specifically used in producing masked cover lids for MEMS devices and CCD/CMOS image sensors.
Masked Coatings
- Precision etched metal masks attached to the substrates provide patterned coatings during the coating process. While the achievable feature sizes and shapes are limited with direct masking, patterning can be applied with almost any coating process and coating material, also with processes that require higher temperatures.
Marking
- Application critical thin-film optical components may require unambiguous marking and labeling, either on the substrate surface or on the coating. The pattern can be generated according customers' specific needs..
Bonding and Sealing
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In various applications, thin-film optical components need to be precision mounted on other components such as sensors or subassemblies.
Optics Balzers offers both, epoxy bonding patterns as well as solder seed layers with a hermetic sealing quality. 
Gelot™ Coatings
- Gelot™ is a solderable gold based multilayer coating that can be applied to glass, fused silica, sapphire and crystals, as well as to ceramics and similar materials. Gelot™ is used in various bonding and sealing applications with optical glass components such as microlenses down to 1 mm diameter.
Polarizing Beamsplitters (PBS)
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Projection systems based on reflective light valves are driving the need for advanced polarizing beamsplitter (PBS) cubes.
Optics Balzers has recently developed a cost-effective, high-volume manufacturing process for the production of PBS with small physical dimensions. Besides custom-designed beamsplitter coatings, additional optical coatings (e.g. anti-reflective, black chrome) can be applied to individual faces of the PBS. The patterning of selective coatings completes the customer specific PBS portfolio from Optics Balzers.Applications
- Combiner Head-Up Display
- Near-Eye Application for Defence
Biofunctional Coatings
- Versatile biofunctional coatings are necessary for functionalizing surfaces for life science, fluorescence, and medical applications. Glass, metal oxides, ITO, and plastics can be treated in order to bind different kinds and variable amounts of macromolecules, tune specific cell adhesion, reduce nonspecific binding background, provide better signal-to-noise ratios and patterned surfaces with multiple functionalities.
Glass Processing
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Efficient light management requires ultra precise surfaces. Therefore, Optics Balzers is ever extending the limits of its polishing and glass handling capabilities. Our experience is based on the manufacturing of products where exceptional surface quality is essential. Further, Optics Balzers applies semiconductor cutting technology on coated glass wafers. This is the way to provide cost effective high volume components with small dimensions.
Wafer Dicing and Scribing
The economical production of thin-film coating components often requires substrate wafer based processing. With advanced dicing and scribing capabilities, Optics Balzers manufactures thin-film components to customer specific shapes and sizes with high precision.
Grinding & Polishing
The performance of any optical surface is highly dependent on the grinding and polishing process. Optics Balzers constantly develops its in-house capabilities for these critical manufacturing steps. Based on our long-standing experience, we are able to identify the most economical solution for your specific application.
Faceting
Faceting helps to avoid the chipping of the workpiece edges in the subsequent manufacturing flow as well as in the final application. Our capabilities include manual as well as fully automated faceting for various workpiece geometries. Standard 45° chamfers as well as other shapes (e.g. C-shape) are available. Varnishing
- High-accuracy dispensing technologies enable continuous or selective blackening of optical parts and complement the low reflection, high absorption coating portfolio from Optics Balzers.
Subassembly
- Optics Balzers offers customized optical subassemblies to meet its customers' ever-increasing demands. We develop individual one-stop-shop solutions for and together with our customers and partners.
Volume Production
- The utilization of high-tech singulation equipment paired with sophisticated manufacturing processes allow for a cost-effective mass production of optical parts with small physical dimensions.
Packaging and Handling
- Customized packaging and shipping ensures top quality in surface protection and cleanliness during transportation and in subsequent process steps at the customer's site.
Development Partners
- Optics Balzers relies on strong partnerships. Therefore our competence centers in Liechtenstein and Germany count on the close cooperation with scientific institutes, universities, and colleges. Those partnerships allow our teams of engineers to develop innovative solutions, tailored to the individual requirements of our customers.
Project Management
- Challenging projects with demanding product properties can be realized successfully only by high level organized and well educated project management teams. Therefore Optics Balzers supports your product request with a dedicated project team, to bring your idea into a real success story. Close cooperation, a permanent exchange of information, and at last but not least, a company with tradition, are the basic elements for a strong long-term partnership.
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