Why Chromium? (Engineering Advantages)
Chromium is the industry standard for high-precision optical blocking and patterning due to its unique physical properties:
- High Optical Density (OD): Chrome coatings effectively block light transmission. We can precisely control the film thickness to achieve specific Optical Densities (e.g., OD 3.0, 4.0, or >5.0), ensuring zero light leakage in the coated areas.
- Exceptional Adhesion: Chromium bonds naturally and chemically to glass (silicon dioxide). It will not peel, flake, or fail standard tape adhesion tests.
- Extreme Durability: Chrome is a notoriously hard metal. The resulting coating is highly scratch-resistant and can withstand rigorous handling, ultrasonic cleaning, and harsh environments.
- Superior Edge Definition: When etched, chrome maintains exceptionally sharp, clean edges without the jaggedness seen in other metal coatings, making it ideal for micro-patterning.
Our Coating & Patterning Capabilities
We don’t just coat the glass; we engineer it to your exact specifications. Our capabilities include:
- Pinhole-Free Deposition: Utilizing advanced Magnetron Sputtering, we deposit dense, uniform, and strictly pinhole-free chrome layers, critical for laser and imaging applications.
- Low-Reflective (AR) Chrome: Standard chrome is highly reflective. For applications like lithography where internal reflections cause "ghosting," we offer Anti-Reflective Chrome (Cr + CrxOy layers) to provide high OD blocking with ultra-low surface reflection.
- Precision Photolithography & Wet/Dry Etching: We can etch complex geometries, grids, and apertures directly into the chrome layer. Our process achieves micron and sub-micron feature sizes with extremely tight tolerances.
- Substrate Versatility: We apply chrome coatings to a variety of polished substrates, including Soda Lime, Borosilicate (B270/Borofloat), Quartz, and Fused Silica, depending on your UV/VIS/IR transmission needs.
Common Applications for Chrome Glass
Our custom chrome-plated and patterned substrates are integrated into high-tech systems worldwide:
- Photomasks & Reticles: Used in semiconductor lithography, PCB manufacturing, and MEMS fabrication.
- Machine Vision Calibration Targets: Precision checkerboards, dot grids, and resolution test charts for calibrating cameras and optical sensors.
- Optical Slits & Pinholes: Essential components for spectrometers, spectrophotometers, and spatial filtering in laser optics.
- Apertures & Encoders: Custom-shaped light-blocking windows and high-precision rotary/linear encoder disks.
Request a Custom Fabrication Quote
From unpatterned chrome blanks to complex, finely etched optical targets, we can support your project from prototype to volume production.
To provide an accurate quote, please share:
- Substrate Material: (e.g., Soda Lime for visible light, Fused Silica for UV applications).
- Optical Density (OD): Or required chrome thickness (e.g., OD > 3.0).
- Coating Type: Standard reflective chrome or Low-Reflection (AR) chrome?
- Patterning Needs: If etching is required, please attach your CAD/Gerber file or describe the minimum feature size (e.g., 5μm slits).
