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Highly Reflective Silver-Enhanced Coating with High Adhesion and Sulfurization Resistance for Telescopes.
Hsing-Yu Wu1,2,3, Shao-Rong Huang2, Chih-Hsuan Shih4
1System Manufacturing Center, National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, New Taipei City 237209, Taiwan.
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 12, 2022
Summary
This study introduces enhanced silver coatings for telescope mirrors, achieving 98% reflectivity from 400-1000 nm. The durable, protected coatings demonstrate long-term performance without degradation.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Materials Science
- Telescope Mirror Technology
Background:
- Highly reflective metal coatings are crucial for astronomical telescopes.
- Enhanced silver coatings offer superior reflectivity in the visible to near-infrared spectrum.
- Protective dielectric layers enhance mirror hardness and oxidation resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and characterize protected enhanced high reflective silver (Ag) coatings.
- To investigate the use of combined thermal and electron beam evaporation for coating fabrication.
- To assess the performance and durability of the novel coatings.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a combination of thermal and electron beam evaporation.
- Developed a novel multilayer film design.
- Tested coatings for adhesive performance (ASTM 5B) and sulfurization inhibition.
- Measured average specular reflectivity across the 400-1000 nm spectral range.
Main Results:
- Achieved an average specular reflectivity of approximately 98% from 400-1000 nm.
- The multilayer film successfully passed ASTM 5B adhesive performance testing.
- Demonstrated sulfurization inhibition properties.
- The coating maintained performance for over six months on a Newtonian telescope under ambient conditions.
Conclusions:
- The developed protected enhanced Ag coatings meet stringent reflectivity and durability requirements for telescope mirrors.
- The fabrication method is suitable for producing high-performance optical coatings.
- These coatings represent a significant advancement for visible and near-IR astronomical observations.
