Many household products we use every day would be impossible if we didn’t have advanced technology to layer materials on at a microscopic level. The anti-glare lenses on our eyeglasses are just one of many intriguing applications of this technology. Using EBeam evaporation is part of the process, allowing engineers to apply thin coats of chemicals designed to help us see better or move without building up static electricity.
Glare-Proofing
Light is always reflected when it passes through a transparent surface. Anti-glare agents help dampen the amount of light that is reflected. Ion beam assisted deposition is the simplest method of applying checmicals to the surface of a lense. These chemicals create a thin layer of refraction that can reduce light reflections to almost 2% of their untreated levels. Optometrists sometimes offer this coating with non-scratch coating that helps keep your lenses safe over time.
Mirrors
The surface of glass can be made even more reflective with a special coating designed to bounce light back. The effect is achieved by combining a high and low index coating. The layers are laid on the glass, and the smoothest glass makes the best mirrors. Of course, different effects are achieved by manipulating the thickness. So called “magic mirrors” are treated with chemicals that allow light to travel through one side, but reflect light on the other side.
Lenses
Aside from the lenses we wear on our faces, lenses we use on cameras and on stage can be treated too. The effect is like colorization, where a lens can filter the light it captures according to the color that has been “stained” onto the surface. The process uses the same chemical lathing techniques, but the effect is very different. These colored lenses are designed to let light through, but that light shines through a colored pigment that alters how the human eye perceives it.
Stealth
Anti-reflective coating on glass surfaces is a hallmark of stealth technology. These materials are made of diamond-like-carbon that is part of a special conductive coating. Combined with radar absorbing material, windows that have been treated with this process reflect the radar waves or turn them into heat sources rather than reflecting it back.
Other Uses
Using different layers of material, it is possible to reflect or absorb UV light from treated objects. Telescopes use this technology so that users don’t suffer harmful effects when star gazing. Aside from mirrors, reflective coatings can be useful in solar power, where heat and sunlight is absorbed and converted into energy for the home.
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Denton Vacuum, LLC manufactures optical coating systems for use on medical equipment, solar cells and optics.
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