STTR Phase II: Advanced Control of Electron-Beam Deposition for High Precision Optical Coatings

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This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II project leverages the substantial improvements in e-beam process control capability developed in Phase I into an integrated control system that can significantly increase yield and throughput for the $1.8 billion precision optical coating industry. Manufacturing partners indicate that the target performance levels would cut manufacturing costs by 35% and enable manufacturers to routinely achieve greater tolerances for advanced designs. This research is driven by a first-principles systems based approach that has created new intellectual property for monitoring, control, and process design. Commercially, precision optical coatings are critical components for all optical instruments including microscopes, telescopes, vision and imaging systems, projection systems, and laser systems. Coatings have served these industries for years, but in a world where application requirements and scientific inquiry are constantly advancing, precision coatings are demanded that comply with even tighter tolerances. In particular, high energy laser science such as the NIF facility at Livermore require very precise and reliable coatings. This STTR research will be key to further improving manufacturing capabilities for a variety of important applications.