2019 Topical Meeting on Optical Interference Coatings: Manufacturing Problem Contest [invited].

Area of Science:

• Optical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Thin Film Technology

Background:

• The seventh Manufacturing Problem Contest challenged participants to create optical filters.
• Filters needed specific transmittance for s-polarization at two incident angles (10° and 50°) across 400-1100 nm.
• Success required expertise in optical filter design, deposition, and measurement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess and compare various optical filter fabrication techniques.
• To evaluate the performance of filters created by international teams.
• To foster advancements in optical filter manufacturing.

Main Methods:

• Eight international teams utilized diverse deposition techniques.
• Filters ranged from 8.2 µm to 17.6 µm in thickness with 74 to 255 layers.
• Deposition was performed on one or both sides of the substrate.

Main Results:

• Filters were fabricated with varying thicknesses and layer counts.
• Performance was independently verified by two laboratories.
• Results were presented at the Topical Meeting on Optical Interference Coatings conference.

Conclusions:

• The contest highlighted the diverse approaches and capabilities in optical filter manufacturing.
• It demonstrated the importance of integrated design, deposition, and measurement skills.
• The event served as a benchmark for current optical filter technology.