Germanium windows, opaque in the UV and visible parts of the spectrum, have a broad transmission range and are well-suited for IR applications. Germanium is a very hard, high-density material - characteristics that are advantageous where robustness is needed. Germanium's high density also makes it heavy, something to be considered when designing it into optical systems where weight is a consideration. Another characteristic of Germanium is thermal runaway, which means that its transmissive properties decrease as temperature increases.
Applications
ZYGO has a long tradition of manufacturing custom-made optical windows, in a wide variety of materials, for many different applications applications, including, but not limited to:
Amplifier Slabs, discs and rods
Debris Shields
Laser fusion optics
Reference surfaces
Defense/Aerospace
Medical/Life Sciences
Industrial OEM
Intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance (ISR)
Wavelengths
ZYGO has developed a wide range of manufacturing processes to accommodate optical windows operating in the infrared (IR), visible, and ultra-violet (UV) parts of the spectrum. Similarly, ZYGO has experience with multi-spectral applications, combining IR and visible. Optical windows can be provided with or without thin film coatings.
Sizes
ZYGO can process these types of windows for components ranging in size from a few millimeters to greater than 1 meter.
Materials
In addition to Germanium windows, ZYGO has the capability to process a wide range of materials to fabricate optical windows. Other materials for optical window products include, but are not limited to:
Cleartran windows (water-clear Zinc Sulfide - ZnS)
Glass windows (fused silica, BK7, etc.)
Sapphire windows (various crystal orientations)
Silicon windows
Zinc selenide windows (ZnSe)
Germanium windows, opaque in the UV and visible parts of the spectrum, have a broad transmission range and are well-suited for IR applications. Germanium is a very hard, high-density material - characteristics that are advantageous where robustness is needed. Germanium's high density also makes it heavy, something to be considered when designing it into optical systems where weight is a consideration. Another characteristic of Germanium is thermal runaway, which means that its transmissive properties decrease as temperature increases.
Applications
ZYGO has a long tradition of manufacturing custom-made optical windows, in a wide variety of materials, for many different applications applications, including, but not limited to:
- Amplifier Slabs, discs and rods
- Debris Shields
- Laser fusion optics
- Reference surfaces
- Defense/Aerospace
- Medical/Life Sciences
- Industrial OEM
- Intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance
(ISR)
Wavelengths
ZYGO has developed a wide range of manufacturing processes to accommodate optical windows operating in the infrared (IR), visible, and ultra-violet (UV) parts of the spectrum. Similarly, ZYGO has experience with multi-spectral applications, combining IR and visible. Optical windows can be provided with or without thin film coatings.
Sizes
ZYGO can process these types of windows for components ranging in size from a few millimeters to greater than 1 meter.
Materials
In addition to Germanium windows, ZYGO has the capability to process a wide range of materials to fabricate optical windows. Other materials for optical window products include, but are not limited to:
- Cleartran windows (water-clear Zinc Sulfide - ZnS)
- Glass windows (fused silica, BK7, etc.)
- Sapphire windows (various crystal orientations)
- Silicon windows
- Zinc selenide windows (ZnSe)
