A recently completed SUPA START project between Thin Film Solutions and the Thin Film Centre at the University of the West of Scotland investigated enhancing the performance of optical filters for a wide range of applications. The project was aimed at applications requiring spatially graded coatings like miniaturised/low cost spectrometers, gas sensors and high laser damage threshold coatings.
Enhancing the Performance of Optical Filters
Thin Film Solutions and the Thin Film Centre, University of West of Scotland
A recently completed SUPA START project between Thin Film Solutions and the Thin Film Centre at the University of the West of Scotland investigated enhancing the performance of optical filters for a wide range of applications. The project was aimed at applications requiring spatially graded coatings like miniaturised/low cost spectrometers, gas sensors and high laser damage threshold coatings.
Thin Film Solutions, based in Helensburgh, offers the technology and resources to provide a complete service to businesses that manufacture or exploit thin film coatings in their products.
The Thin Film Centre (TFC), at the University of the West of Scotland, provides a unique service for industry in the research and development of deposition processes for thin films, design and fabrication of thin film products, characterisation of thin films and the dissemination of information about the applications of thin films.
The project investigated a variety of thin film deposition techniques including sputtering and electron beam deposition, characterising a range of geometric configurations and masking techniques. Theoretical modelling of thin film deposition was also carried out to develop understanding of the experimental thin film deposition results.
The project has put in place a basic understanding of those parameters which influence the spatial grading of the coating on a substrate. Future work would utilise this information to progress masking regimes which provide control of graded coatings for a variety applications.
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