Knowledge & Service >> Sapphire Windows Fabrication |
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| Synthetic Sapphire |
| Synthetic Sapphire is a single crystal, so it can not be molded, drawn or cast. It can be grown into specific shapes such as tubes and rods. |
| Sapphire growth methods include the Kyropoulos, EFG, and HEM. These methods produce sapphire with different specifications such as size, thickness, and inclusions. |
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| Choices of Crystal Orientation for Sapphire Window: |
| Crystal orientation determines the characteristics of sapphire windows. The choice of crystal orientations depends on many factors e.g. birefringence, thermal expansion, lattice constant and other crystal orientation dependent physical properties. |
| For example, C-plane sapphire is slightly birefringent. Sometimes specifized as 'zero degree', or 'c-cut'. In a window, the optical axis of sapphire should be perpendicular to the plane of the window. Most sapphire windows require low birefringence, so C-plane is typical material for Sapphire windows. |
| If unspecified, Random should be the default crystal choice for sapphire windows. The window is fabricated without concern about crystalline orientation, called 'random' cut. But need to note that this is nearly 60° to the optic axis as this is the 'softest' direction for the saw. |
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| Sapphire Window Polishing: |
| Due to its hardness and high mechanical strength, the polishing of sapphire window is difficult and slow. To develop a process for the production of sapphire windows with optical flatness, low scatter surface finish and without surface and subsurface damage is very challenge. |
| With more than 20s diverse experience, UltiTech is familiar with sapphire’s characteristics and understands how certain sapphire properties impact manufacturing processes and overall performance of sapphire optical windows. |
| Our super polishing processes enable us to polish sapphire windows with low roughness, high surface quality and surface accuracy. |
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| Sapphire Windows Coating: |
| The applications of sapphire windows rang from Defense and Aerospace to Sensors and Instrumentation to Medical Devices. |
| Sapphire windows need to work under extreme operating conditions and demonstrate superior performance. So the coating need to withstand harsh environmental conditions, and the coating designs are multispectral to take advantage of the wide wavelength transmission property of sapphire. |
| We have diverse experience to guarantee thin film spectral uniformity over the clear aperture. |
| We offer antireflective and dielectric coatings for UV, VIS, MIR, and multispectral applications. |
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| Fabrication Capability of Sapphire Windows: |
| UltiTech offers complete solutions for sapphire windows fabrication, including shaping, grinding, drilling, polishing and coating. |
| Our experienced engineers understands the effects of manufacturing processes on strength, optical performance, and reliability of Sapphire windows. We have the capability of fabricating high-precision windows to deliver high levels of performance and reliability. |
| Our typical achievable specifications for sapphire windows are: diameter up to 200 mm, surface accuracy up to 1/10 lambda (lambda 633 nm), surface quality up to 10/5, and parallelism up to 5 arc seconds. |
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| Tools design capability: |
| We have the capability to design tools, metrology fixtures, test fixtures and assembly frames for precision fabrication. |
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| Metrology equipments: |
| We possess sophisticated metrology equipments. |
| We employ ZYGO interferometers to measure surface, transmitted wavefront and material homogeneity. |
| These equipments enable us to fabricate and measure sapphire windows with high level of precision. |
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| Capability of Volume Production: |
| We have the ability and experience to perform production runs from prototype to large quantities. |
| We have basic manufacturing equipments, detailed program management, consistent and well-controlled manufacturing processes, and well-designed tools to guarantee volume production. |
| UltiTech have the capability and experience to serve as long-term reliable partner. |
