PARMS coating technology for UV to IR laser applications

Since the reactive magnetron sputtering was introduced and applied to the production of thin films in 1974, this technique become one of the most used and efficient technologies for optical coatings production.

Reactive sputtering using a medium frequency (MF) dual magnetron source is an advanced technique widely employed in various thin film deposition applications. For producing high-quality optical filters based on oxides with low losses, it is crucial to exclude any form of arcing, including both strong arcs and microarcs. These requirements are solved by plasma-assisted reactive magnetron sputtering (PARMS), which also provides a high deposition rate contributing to the economically efficient production of high-end optical filters.

The Meridian sputtering system by I-Photonics has proven its exceptional capability in producing high-quality fully amorphous structures without defects, which effectively prevents moisture penetration in the coatings. This leads to minimal losses in the water absorption region, which is confirmed by the high reflection (HR) of the mid-infrared mirror. The mirror was designed using a pair of materials Ta₂O₅/SiO₂ optimized for the UV and visible ranges were sputtered on quartz (Al₂O₃) substrate with a central wavelength at 2,850 nm for 0 degrees incidence angle with a total coating thickness of 7.2 μm (Fig. above).

Read the interactive issue in the Adobe Cloud, or download the PDF – Alexander Myslivets, Henadz Rabatuyeu, Nadzeya Khinevich, and Eugene Hohlov: PARMS coating technology for UV to IR laser applications, PhotonicsViews, E-Special 1, 2025, published 23 January 2025