Jan 22 2008
Agilent Technologies Inc., a leader in precision optics, today announced the availability of deep-UV optical coating, offering long-lifetime optics that address the growing need for highly accurate and reliable beam delivery in leading-edge medical and semiconductor photolithography systems.
"UV-wavelength lasers and lamps are driving high-volume requirements for optical components," said Vince Barich, operations and marketing manager for Agilent's precision optics group. "Challenges for system designers include coating compaction and optic lifetime. Agilent has developed proprietary high-throughput UV coatings that increase component lifetime while minimizing compaction, thereby extending the time between maintenance cycles and reducing system down time."
Reflectivity and damage-threshold testing have been successfully completed, and in independent tests Agilent has qualified multiple coating chambers, thus ensuring product availability.
Agilent's vertically integrated design-to-production facility includes in-house fabrication (shaping, grinding and polishing) and coating (deep-UV to near-IR) capabilities. Comprehensive metrology and use of the latest equipment to monitor and control pressure, temperature and rate ensure accurate and repeatable production processes.
For more than 35 years, Agilent has developed and manufactured optical components, monolithic assemblies and complex optomechanical assemblies for market-leading laser interferometry and nanomeasurement systems. Agilent combines experienced craftsmanship with deterministic manufacturing process control for volume production. The company now serves aerospace/defense and commercial markets with cutting-edge metrology and design, plus fabrication and thin-film coatings in a vertically integrated factory.
Agilent will showcase its new UV optics at Photonics West, Jan. 22-24, 2008, in San Jose, Calif. Customers and the media are invited to visit Agilent in Booth 1037.
More information on Agilent optics is available at www.agilent.com/find/optics, by sending an e-mail inquiry to [email protected] or by calling +1 408 553 7833 (North America) or +31 20 547 2160 (Europe).