Optical Coating Laboratory, Inc.

Paul M LeFebvre

Richard Ian Seddon

Michael A Scobey

James W Seeser

Barry W Manley

Eric R Dickey

Bryant P Hichwa

Michael D Temple

David L Soberanis

Thomas H Allen

Robert F Klinger

Rolf F Illsley

Craig C Van Horn

Patrick R Wentworth

Basil L Swaby

Leonard P Mott

Timothy C Engel

Stephen D Browning

R Russel Austin

William A Meredith, Jr

An optical filter is provided for use in color projection display imaging systems which utilize liquid crystal light valves for image modulation. The optical filter is a dichroic coating which separates light into different colors. The optical filter is located on a light transmissive surface of a color splitting device such as a Philips prism. The optical filter is formed from layers of at least two different dielectric materials including a high refractive index material, such as zirconium oxide and a low refractive index material such as aluminum oxide. The low refractive index material has an average refractive index of no less than about 1.6. The high refractive index material has an average refractive index which is sufficiently greater than the average refractive index of the low refractive index such that the average refractive index of the high refractive index material divided by the average refractive index of the low refractive index material yields a ratio that is greater than about 1.2 and less than about 1.55.

Thin film dichroic color separation filters for color splitters in

A thin film coating system incorporates separate, separately-controlled deposition and reaction zones for depositing materials such as refractory metals and forming oxides and other compounds and alloys of such materials. The associated process involves rotating or translating workpieces past the differentially pumped, atmospherically separated, sequentially or simultaneously operated deposition and reaction zones and is characterized by the ability to form a wide range of materials, by high throughput, and by controlled coating thickness, including both constant and selectively varied thickness profiles.

Geometries and configurations for magnetron sputtering apparatus

A rotary cylindrical sputtering system incorporates separate, separately-controlled linear magnetron sputter deposition and reaction zones for sputter depositing materials such as refractory metals and forming oxides and other compounds and alloys of such materials. In one aspect, the associated process involves rotating or translating workpieces past the differentially pumped, atmospherically separated, sequentially or simultaneously operated deposition and reaction zones and is characterized by the ability to form a wide range of materials, by high throughput, and by the ability to form durable optical quality thin films of nominal refractive indices and controlled coating thickness, including both constant and selectively varied thickness profiles.

Process for depositing optical thin films on both planar and non-planar

A wear resistant, low reflectence optical thin films composite is suitable for high wear, stringent optical quality applications such as in xerographic copier platens. The optical thin film coating composite comprises relatively thick layers of aluminum oxide and silicon oxide and a relatively thin top layer of titanium nitride.

Wear resistant thin film coating and combination

Process for depositing optical films on both planar and non-planar

High purity (95-99.5 percent) red, orange and yellow filters are disclosed which comprise a periodic stack of relatively low index of refraction dielectric material (L) such as SiO.sub.2 or MgF.sub.2 and absorbing relatively high index material such as silicon or Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3. Together, the low and high index materials provide a high index ratio (typically 1.7 to 2.5). The filters are fabricated according to designs such as (H/2 L H/2).sup.n, typically using only 5 to 7 layers. Despite the very small layer count, these filters provide overall optical performance which is at least the equivalent of all-dielectric filters of 30 or more layers, with color purity that is unachievable by all-dielectric filters and simple low cost design. In addition, our filters have inherently low stress levels and absorb and reflect unwanted light such as blue light. As a consequence, the filters are ideally suited for coating on flexible substrates such as plastics and for coating on lamp envelopes to form red or yellow bulbs which are ideally suited, for example, for use as automobile tail light bulbs, side marker bulbs and turn signal bulbs.

Absorbing dichroic filters

A rotary cylindrical sputtering system incorporates separate, separately-controlled linear magnetron sputter cathode and reaction zones for sputter depositing materials such as refractory metals and forming oxides and other compounds and alloys of such materials. The associated process involves rotating or translating workpieces past the differentially pumped, atmospherically separated, sequentially or simultaneously operated cathode and reaction zones and is characterized by the ability to form a wide range of materials, by high throughput, and by controlled coating thickness, including both constant and selectively varied thickness profiles.

Magnetron sputtering apparatus and process

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Santa Rosa, CA, United States of America

Paul M LeFebvre