Agilent Technologies Extends High-Precision Thin-Film Optical Coating Capability

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced the installation of a new reactive magnetron thin-film optical coating system from Leybold Optics GmbH. This new system will be used for coating components that require extremely precise spectral and polarization control. The high-precision HELIOS System is the first to be installed in North America.

“The capabilities of the new HELIOS coating system will allow us to meet the ever-increasing demands of our customers to deliver optical components and assemblies with higher accuracy and tighter tolerances while offering reduced cost and improved repeatability,” said Vince Barich, Agilent Precision Optics operations manager. “It also complements our current capabilities in low-stress, high-performance coatings. Agilent’s investment in this new coating capability underscores our commitment to being a leading provider of high-precision thin-film optical solutions for our customers.”

“We are pleased to deliver the first HELIOS System in North America to Agilent,” said Dr. Karl Matl, business unit manager Optics at Leybold Optics. “Already a standard in the semiconductor industry, the introduction of the HELIOS in the optics market marks the beginning of a new and significant step forward in the production of optics. Agilent’s precision optics group is well positioned to take advantage of the systems capabilities.”

The unique ’reactive magnetron’ sputtering process enables the HELIOS to produce high-precision color, UV and IR filters, and beam splitter coatings with excellent quality. The system delivers high-density coatings that are also less prone to moisture absorption, temperature shifting, and will work in air as well as in vacuum. Operating at high clock cycles, this new capability also allows Agilent to offer faster coating development and time-to-market for its customers.

Agilent began shipping the first production parts in May 2007 and is currently ramping the system to volume production.

Precision Optics from Agilent

Agilent delivers high-precision optical solutions to the demanding aerospace/defense, vision systems, nanotechnology measurement, homeland security and biotech instrumentation markets.

For more than 35 years, Agilent has developed and manufactured optical components, monolithic assemblies and complex optomechanical assemblies for market-leading laser interferometry and nanomeasurement systems. Agilent combines experienced craftsmanship with deterministic manufacturing process control for volume production. The company delivers cutting-edge metrology and design, plus fabrication and thin-film coatings in a vertically integrated factory.