Sputtered Thin-Film Coatings

Traditional deposition methods like thermal and electron-beam evaporation have served the optical thin-film coatings industry for decades, yet they often produce coatings that fall short in terms of durability and uniformity. These “soft” coatings, prone to issues such as moisture absorption and temperature-induced shifting, can be less reliable for high-performance applications.

Enter sputtering, a game-changing technology that emerged from its origins in magnetic disk drives and fiber-optic telecommunications. Unlike its predecessors, sputtering delivers “hard” coatings with exceptional density and minimal scattering, thanks to its precise deposition process. This article explores the evolution and advantages of sputtered thin-film coatings, highlighting how Semrock has revolutionized the field with cutting-edge sputtering techniques to meet the demands of modern optical filters with unprecedented performance and reliability.