IBS

Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS) is the most advan­ced deposition technology for the most critical demands on laser optics.

IBS works with RF-guns, typically used for satel­lite propulsion. Argon ions are accelerated by approx. 1.5 kV onto a metal target. Coating material is sputtered off the target and condenses on a ver­tically rotating substrate fixture. A uniform coa­ting distribution is limited to an area of about 30 cm in dia­meter for the standard IBS machines.

Our IBS coating plants have been designed with a secondary RF plasma source. It emits oxygen ions directly onto the substrate surfa­ces in order to receive well-oxidized, non-­ab­­sorbing oxide layers.

With the accuracy of LASEROPTIK’s broadband monitoring systems, fractional parts of a mono­layer can be detected. As a result of highest precision in film growth and an amorphous, almost defect free microstructure IBS is conside­red as the most advanced coating technology in today’s thin film industry.

Like magnetron sputtering, IBS is a “cold” pro­cess in which the internal temperature does not exceed 150 °C.

The stress can be reduced by compensating layers deposited on the rear surface including additional optical properties, e.g. working as an AR coating.

At LASEROPTIK we actually have 13 machines for special requirements in operation, e.g. high power supermirrors with superior reflectivity (99.99x%) and lowest losses (< 10 ppm), complex filter designs or coatings on crystals. Four of them can work with large optics, so IBS-coat­ings are available even on substrates up to 2 m in length or Ø550mm (see large optics).

With our GDD measurement setup we also offer dispersive coatings.