Technology
Mechanical Ruling for Blazed Diffraction Gratings
Inprentus manufactures blazed diffraction gratings using a novel nano-scale contact-mode lithography technique called mechanical ruling. This method scribes thousands of lines per millimeter. As a result, it delivers the ultra-high accuracy that demanding diffraction grating applications require.
Furthermore, Inprentus can scribe grating lines with blaze angles below 1 degree, and it holds an accuracy of 0.1 degree or better. Notably, this happens without ion-milling or any other post-processing. In addition, novel interferometry techniques developed in-house position grating lines with accuracy better than 20 nm over distances of 10 cm or larger.
Because of this technology, Inprentus creates gratings with a resolving power up to 50,000. This level is unprecedented for mechanically ruled gratings. Today, these blazed diffraction gratings serve as a core component in augmented reality (AR), semiconductor manufacturing, and research across materials, chemistry, and life sciences.
A precision tool shapes metal into triangular facets. No material is removed, and the system rules one line at a time. Moreover, Inprentus can rule 15,000 lines a day in a fully automated fashion.
What is a Diffraction Grating?
A diffraction grating is a periodic structure patterned into a reflective surface. In short, it disperses light into its constituent wavelengths. Therefore, it gives engineers precise control over light.
- First, gratings separate light into its "colors," much like a prism.
- Next, they allow for the control and manipulation of light.
- Finally, they appear in any application where the wavelength of light must be tuned. These include spectroscopy, imaging, semiconductor manufacturing, augmented reality, and life sciences research.
How Inprentus Builds High-Precision Gratings
Custom-blazed diffraction gratings from Inprentus work with X-ray, UV, and visible light applications. Because the manufacturing process is so exacting, it produces ultra-high line density and high-precision surface patterning
In addition, every grating moves through a rigorous testing and packing program. As a result, each one ships thoroughly clean and free from organic low-vapor-pressure material or organic fluid. Finally, technicians measure each grating with several optical metrology instruments, and Inprentus delivers the test results alongside every diffraction grating.
Presentation
Recent advances in blazed diffraction grating manufacturing technology for synchrotron, FEL, EUV, and spectroscopy applications