SPIE - Education Advanced Composite Materials for Optomechanical Systems and Precision Machinery SC218

Advanced composite materials have been used successfully in optomechanical systems since the 1970s. They are being used increasingly in numerous commercial and military applications including: optical benches, telescopes, binoculars, mirrors, metrology and photolithography equipment, and other optomechanical systems, along with thermal management and optoelectronic packaging. Numerous and growing numbers of polymer matrix-, metal matrix-, ceramic matrix- and carbon/carbon composites provide great improvements in stiffness, strength, dimensional stability, thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance over conventional materials of construction, and are considerably lighter. Low-cost, net-shape manufacturing processes make many of these materials economically attractive.