Edmund Optics®, a supplier of optical components, has ordered the SPECTOR® Ion Beam Sputtering System from Veeco Instruments Inc. (Nasdaq: VECO). The new capability is in support of Edmund Optics’ expanding portfolio of high quality laser optics for infrared, visible, and ultraviolet systems. Edmund Optics’ growing presence in the laser optics landscape builds on the company’s long history as a supplier of high quality imaging and photonics components. The SPECTOR platform represents Edmund Optics’ most recent financial and technical commitment to advancing state-of-the-art optics fabrication, adding to the company’s existing expertise in aspheric design and manufacturing, advanced optical metrology, and production of optics designed for high laser fluence applications.
“The SPECTOR platform gives us two essential elements: the best tool available to support precision and custom optical coatings, and the best partner to support our technical needs,” said Joel Bagwell, director of engineering and manufacturing technology at Edmund Optics. “Veeco fit the bill perfectly on both counts. The SPECTOR’s ability to create extremely high quality, high performance films is especially important for our laser optics coatings, and will help expand our portfolio to encompass new and emerging applications. As a company that holds customer service as our highest priority, we were also impressed with Veeco’s demonstrated track record of successfully supporting customers with global reach— the kind of service we provide to our customers and we seek from our suppliers.”
The SPECTOR ion beam sputtering platform offers exceptional layer thickness control, enhanced process stability, and the lowest published optical losses in the industry. The platform is engineered to enhance key production parameters, such as target material utilization, optical endpoint control, and process time for cutting-edge optical coating applications. The SPECTOR platform, which is the preferred ion beam sputtering system in the industry, has been installed in more than 200 advanced manufacturing settings across the world. The system is consistently chosen by manufacturers for the qualitative advantages of ion beam sputtering technology—low scatter loss, high film purity, stable deposition rates, and film thickness control of less than 0.1nm.
“Edmund Optics is a premier provider of optical components, known for providing the highest quality products for the life sciences, biomedical, semiconductor, defense, and research and development markets,” said Adrian Devasahayam, Ph.D., vice president and general manager of advanced deposition and etch products at Veeco. “Their selection of Veeco’s SPECTOR ion beam sputtering system further demonstrates the platform’s flexibility to support a wide range of applications with unmatched control and precision.”
Optical coatings are valuable in a wide variety of commercial categories including telecom, defense, architecture, medical, solar, transportation, and industrial, as well as consumer categories including flat-screen TVs, computers, tablets, cell phones, and eyeglass coatings. According to BCC Research, the global market for optical coatings is expected to reach $14.2 billion in 2021, up from $9.5 billion in 2016. The commercial segment in particular is expected to grow from $5.4 billion in 2016 to $9.4 billion in 2021—demonstrating a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.5 percent. Key drivers of this growth are emerging applications in commercial and consumer categories, as well as innovative coatings to improve existing applications.