Blazed Diffraction Grating Manufacturing

Inprentus Cleanroom Facility
Inprentus provides custom-blazed diffraction grating manufacturing for advanced optics, semiconductor, augmented reality, spectroscopy, synchrotron, and FEL applications. From grating design and precision manufacturing to metrology and performance validation, our team delivers high-efficiency blazed diffraction gratings engineered for demanding optical systems. Using proprietary mechanical ruling technology, Inprentus manufactures blazed grating nanostructures with precise groove control, high optical efficiency, and scalable production potential. Our modern ruling process allows customers to reduce manufacturing complexity while achieving custom blaze angles, variable line spacing, large-format gratings, and substrate-flexible solutions for research and commercial markets.
Custom Blazed Diffraction Grating Manufacturing Advantages
  • High optical efficiency custom blaze angles from 0.1° to 80°
  • Wide line density range, from 50 lines/mm to 6000 lines/mm
  • Variable line spacing grating manufacturing for advanced optical designs
  • Ability to manufacture multiple gratings on the same surface
  • Extremely flat wavefronts with long-range coherence preservation
  • Custom groove shapes, including alternating and non-traditional profiles
  • Substrate-flexible manufacturing with interfacial overcoat options
  • Large-format diffraction gratings, with sizes up to 500 mm delivered
  • Scalable production capacity through modern ruling machine technology

Manufacturing for Advanced Optical Applications

Inprentus manufactures custom blazed diffraction gratings for applications where optical efficiency, groove precision, and scalable production are critical. Our grating manufacturing capabilities support synchrotron and FEL beamlines, semiconductor inspection and EUV-related optics, augmented reality waveguide masters, spectroscopy systems, and government or defense research. By combining design, manufacturing, and metrology in one workflow, Inprentus helps customers move from prototyping grating concepts to validated optical components.
inprentus precision optics
Performance: High Grating Efficiency
Inprentus 824 lpmm custom EUV grating with extreme VLS was verified to provide near-ideal efficiency at design wavelength. Compare to simulated efficiency in figure 4. The measurement was performed at the Center for X-Ray Optics at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
inprentus precision optics
Upgrades: Extreme Focusing
Focused image size can be reduced by around 50x and the instrument made smaller using high VLS gratings. Efficiency measured at different points on a high VLS grating is shown. The differences are consistent with designed high line density variation. Inprentus has experience with manufacturing gratings with line spacing variation of 100% and more.
inprentus precision optics
Nanomanufacturing: Precision Blaze Angle
Manufacturing advancements have enabled this EUV VLS grating to have line density extrema ranging from 736 lpmm to 930 lpmm while maintaining a blaze angle of 3.3° +/- 0.04°. An atomic force microscope (AFM) grayscale height map of manufactured grooves is shown below along with groove profile in blue.
inprentus precision optics
Support Capabilities: Efficiency Simulation
Proprietary simulation allows manufacturing setup to be precisely modified until the grating yields efficiency (orange) above 80% (grey) of theoretical (black) efficiency. Simulated efficiency is included in the FAT report and agrees with measured performance.