Conventional Polishing, CNC, continues polishing, double sided polishing, diamond turning
Lenses, Prisms, Plano surfaces and aspherical surfaces
Fabrication in our facilities in Europe, Asia and the US
Overview
LightPath employs multiple fabrication technologies for production of optical components.
Precision Glass Molding – LightPath’s proprietary technology for molding Aspherical Glass lenses
Diamond Turning – single point 5-axis diamond turning
Spherical Polishing – spindle polishing, conventional grind and polish, CNC curve generation, CNC grinding and CNC polishing. Centering and lapping
Plano Polishing – double sided, continuous polishing (CP), optical contacting
Precision Glass Molding
Single lens press, see Precision Glass Molding page for more details
Typical Tolerances
Parameter | Typical Tolerance |
Focal Length |
± 1% |
Center Thickness (CT) |
± 0.025 mm |
Outer Diameter (OD) |
± 0.015 mm |
Wedge |
4 arcmin |
Power/Irregularity |
3/1 fringes |
Surface Roughness |
15nm |
Surface Quality (scratch/dig) |
40/20 |
Wave Front Error (RMS) |
Diffraction Limited |
Diamond Turning
Typical Tolerances
Roughness, Ra, (Å) | Irregularity (fringes @ 633 nm) | Scratch/Dig | |||
Material | Typical | Best Achievable | Typical | Best Achievable | Typical |
Germanium |
20 |
10 |
1 |
0.5 |
60/40 |
Silicon |
30 |
10 |
1 |
0.75 |
60/40 |
ZnSe |
30 |
20 |
1 |
0.5 |
60/40 |
ZnS |
30 |
20 |
1 |
0.5 |
60/40 |
GASIR * |
20 |
10 |
1.5 |
1 |
N/A |
IG Glass * |
30 |
20 |
1.5 |
1 |
N/A |
CaF2 |
30 |
20 |
1 |
0.75 |
60/40 |
Diamond Turning of a Germanium Asphere, See dedicated diamond turning page for more details
CNC Polishing
Typical Tolerances
Roughness, Ra, (Å) | Irregularity (fringes @ 633 nm) | Scratch/Dig | |||
Material | Typical | Best Achievable | Typical | Best Achievable | Typical |
Germanium |
10 |
6 |
1.5 |
0.5 |
60/40 |
Silicon |
10 |
6 |
1 |
0.5 |
60/40 |
ZnSe |
15 |
10 |
1 |
0.5 |
60/40 |
ZnS |
15 |
10 |
1.5 |
0.5 |
60/40 |
Chalcogenide |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
CaF2 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
60/40 |
Conventional Polishing
Typical Tolerances
Roughness, Ra, (Å) | Irregularity (fringes @ 633 nm) | Scratch/Dig | |||
Material | Typical | Best Achievable | Typical | Best Achievable | Typical |
Germanium |
10 |
6 |
1 |
0.35 |
60/40 |
Silicon |
10 |
5 |
1 |
0.35 |
60/40 |
ZnSe |
15 |
10 |
1 |
0.35 |
60/40 |
ZnS |
15 |
10 |
1 |
0.35 |
60/40 |
Chalcogenide |
20 |
15 |
2 |
0.5 |
60/40 |
CaF2 |
20 |
15 |
1 |
0.35 |
60/40 |