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US4560576A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method of coating optical components

Assignee: Qinetiq Ltd
•
Filing: 1984-11-06
•
Granted: 1985-12-24
•
Expires: 2004-11-06
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Abstract

Abstract A coating having low absorbance of laser energy is provided on optical components substrates by molecular beam epitaxial growth techniques. The growth conditions prevent contamination of substrate and coating with water and carbonaceous gases. The method of coating has the following steps: arranging the substrate in a vacuum chamber, cleaning the component while holding the pressure below 10 -4 millibar and the partial pressure of H 2 O and carbonaceous gases below 4.10 -9 mb, applying at least one layer of a coating material to the substrate, while holding the pressure below 10 -8 mb and the partial pressure of H 2 O and carbonaceous gases below 4.10 -9 mb. The optical component may be lenses, windows, or reflectors e.g. of ZnSe, GaAs, glass, etc. The coating may be of selenide e.g. ZnSe, etc.

Inventors

  • 👤 Keith L. Lewis
  • 👤 James A. Savage

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-29 22:45
CPC Classifications
C; C30; C30B; C30B33/00; C03; C03C; C03C17/00; C03C17/22; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/02; C23C14/021; C30B23/00; C30B23/02; C30B29/00; C30B29/10; C30B29/46; C30B29/48; C03C2217/00; C03C2217/20; C03C2217/21; C03C2217/28; C03C2217/287; C03C2217/289; C03C2218/00; C03C2218/10; C03C2218/15

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 78 words
A method of coating optical component substrate comprising the steps of arranging the substrate in a vacuum chamber, cleaning the component whilst holding the pressure below 10 -4 millibar and the partial pressure of H 2 O and carbonaceous gases below 4.10 -9 mb, applying at least one layer of a coating material to the substrate, whilst holding the pressure below 10 -8 and the partial pressure of H 2 O and carbonaceous gases below 4.10 -9 mb.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 78 words
A method of coating optical component substrate comprising the steps of arranging the substrate in a vacuum chamber, cleaning the component whilst holding the pressure below 10 -4 millibar and the partial pressure of H 2 O and carbonaceous gases below 4.10 -9 mb, applying at least one layer of a coating material to the substrate, whilst holding the pressure below 10 -8 and the partial pressure of H 2 O and carbonaceous gases below 4.10 -9 mb.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the cleaning step and the coating step are carried out in different vacuum chambers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein, prior to the cleaning step under vacuum, the substrate is loaded into an initial loading chamber and degassed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is cleaned by ion beam bombardment.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is cleaned by neutral atom bombardment.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is cleaned by laser beam evaporation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is cleaned by heating.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 30 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the optical component is a material selected from the group, halides, chalcogenide, Ge, Si, Al 2 O 3 , MgO 2 , AlON, GaAs.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 36 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the coating material is at least one material selected from the group oxide, chloride, fluoride, sulphide, selenide, telluride, boride, phosphide, carbide, carbon, nitride, arsenide, bromide, iodide or thallium containing materials.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4400254A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1988-12-23 1989-06-24 1989-12-24 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1992-12-23 1993-06-24 1993-12-24 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1996-12-23 1997-06-24 1997-12-24 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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