Antireflection Coatings

Special Properties

• Highly efficient reduction of surface reflection
• High transmission for visible wavelengths
• Excellent suppression of ghost images, phantom light, or double laser beams
• Refractive index adapted to the glass-air transition
• All-dielectric multi-layer coating
• Metal-free coating layers
• Low light absorption
• High abrasion resistance
• Excellent coating adhesion
• Low rest-reflection

Typical Applications

• Antireflection coating for optical windows, lenses, and beamsplitters
• Sensor cover glasses
• Closure windows in medical devices
• Laser windows
• BBAR-coating for optical measuring instruments
• Automotive cockpit glass surfaces
• Camera protection window
• Robotics applications
• AR-coating for single lenses and lens assemblies

Related topics

• Oleophobic AR-coating
  (AR-coating with anti-fingerprint effect)
• Custom antireflection coating
  (Customized AR-coating)

Request for Quotation

Also available in 48 h Express-Service

Our ARC coatings offer excellent anti-reflection performance and high light transmission in the visible wavelength range. The vacuum-deposited dielectric optical thin-film layers adapt the refractive index of the substrate glass to the ambient air. As a result, the metal-free multi-layer coatings reduce surface reflections to a minimum.

Approximately 4,25% of light in the visible wavelength spectrum is reflected from an uncoated glass surface. Hence, around 8,5% of the light gets lost per uncoated element in an optical system through reflection. Our AR-coatings can reduce this reflection in parts of this spectral range to less than 0,2% per surface. A considerable improvement compared to simple single-layer anti-reflective coatings that typically still reflect about 1-2% of incident light per side.

Surface reflections often superimpose a transmitted image with a weak identical ghost image resulting in degraded sharpness and a blurry picture. Our broadband antireflection coatings suppress such unwanted secondary reflection effectively. Hence, the transmitted image remains sharp, brighter, and has much better contrast. Imaging accuracy is maintained, and almost no light is reflected. When used as a laser window, our ARC materials can also eliminate secondary laser beams. The available power increases because nearly the entire laser beam energy is transmitted.

The layers of our double-side coated ARC and single-side coated ARC-1S standard AR-coatings are applied to selected iron-reduced float glasses by a vacuum deposition process. For the ARC-B series, we use premium grade BOROFLOAT® material. We achieve the best optical performance by adapting the refractive index of each antireflection coating to the respective substrate glass.

All ARC materials are usually always available, as we produce them regularly. Our coating capabilities are not limited to the antireflection coatings described on this website. On request, we also coat other substrate materials or finished optics, and we can match the refractive index of our anti-reflection coatings to the respective carrier material's refractive index. We also apply our anti-reflective layers to optical lenses and other optics provided by the customer on a per-batch basis. On request, customized AR-coatings for a different wavelength range are also available.

 

How do I receive an offer? Do you have fixed standard dimensions?

Our company specializes in the rapid production and delivery of optics with individual sizes. We can quote, fabricate, and deliver custom-sized parts as fast, as fixed-dimensions off-the-shelf usually ship. Often this is of great advantage because the optics perfectly fit into the application without any necessary modification. So, you can order exactly the dimensions you need at any time!

To request a quotation for any of our ARC antireflection coatings with particular dimensions, please select a thickness from the table you find in the specifications or use the following button.

 

Request for Quotation

Also available in 48 h Express-Service

 

Specifications & Properties

ARC antireflection coating compared
to the reflection of uncoated glass

Enlarge curve to show details

Standard thicknesses

(Please click on a glass thickness to request a quote)

Thickness (mm)	Tolerance
ARC: double-side antireflection coating, substrate material Selected Float glass
1,10	±0,10	✔
2,00	±0,20	✔
3,00	±0,20	✔
Custom thickness on request
ARC-1S: single-side antireflection coating, substrate material Selected Float glass
2,00	±0,20	✔
Custom thickness on request
ARC-B: double-side antireflection coating, substrate material BOROFLOAT®
1,10	±0,10	-
2,00	±0,20	✔
3,30	±0,20	✔
Custom thickness on request
The thicknesses marked with "✔" are also available within 48–h Express Service.

Spectral Characteristics

• Absolute rest-reflection:
  Rabs </= 0,6% per surface at a wavelength range of 450-650 nm (i = 0°) for unpolarized light
• Average rest-reflection:
  Ravg < 0,3% per surface at a wavelength range
  of 430-660 nm (i = 0-15°), for unpolarized light
• AR-coating for other wavelengths per inquiry
• Characteristics for laser use per inquiry
• Modified coating layers per inquiry

Coating Construction

• Index-matched multi-layer BBAR-coating for the visible wavelength spectrum

Flatness

• Depending on the substrate glass and thickness

Surface Quality

• better than 80-50 scratch & dig (MIL-0-13830A)
  (typically better than 60-40)
• Higher surface quality on request

Other Specifications

• Coating layer adhesion according to MIL-C-675 C
• Abrasion resistance according to MIL-M-13508 C

 

In case you need a coating batch of optical lenses custom anti-reflection coated, please let us know the exact specifications of the lenses you want to supply. It is essential to specify the lens material's refraction index, the precise lens dimensions, and focal length. The provided lenses must not already have any coating on their surfaces. Please let us know the maximum allowed amount of light that still might be reflected by the lens surface (residual reflection), inform us about the relevant wavelength range, and let us know which light source you use.

 

All given details and specifications are mean reference values and are not guaranteed. Also, please consider our "Notes on specifications".

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