The IST research team has ushered in a new era in precision optics with the development of the Eoss (Enhanced Optical Sputtering System) production platform. “Our goal was to make the production of highly precise optical coatings industrially scalable, efficient, and flexible,” says Dr. Michael Vergöhl, Head of the Optical and Electronic Systems Department at IST and the project’s scientific driving force. With the Eoss production system and the complementary Mocca+ (Modular Optical Coating Control Application) control and monitoring software, the researchers have successfully transformed scientific innovation into an industrial product. Applications range from autonomous driving and medical technology to smartphone optics, telecommunications, and aerospace.
Simultaneous Deposition of Optical Coatings on Both Sides
For the first time, the Eoss system uses rotatable dual-tube cathodes, known as rotatable magnetrons. Combined with novel mixed targets made of metal and metal oxide, the system enables a stable coating process without reactive gases. Spatially separated plasma post-treatment and an upward-facing, low-particle design ensure that components are manufactured uniformly and reliably. Another breakthrough is the simultaneous deposition of optical coatings on both sides of a substrate. “The ability to coat both sides simultaneously doubles productivity and enables the coating of very thin substrates while maintaining maximum process stability and uniformity—something previously considered impossible,” explains Vergöhl. Stable uniformity levels approaching 100 percent are maintained over production periods up to ten times longer than with previous systems. The hardware is complemented by Mocca+, a control and monitoring software platform that consolidates process control, data acquisition, and analysis. Mocca+ enables real-time monitoring of the coating process—a first in industrial production.
System Already Proven in Industrial Applications
The industrial commercialization of the Eoss platform has accelerated several projects, including the development of multi-gradient filters in the Rainbow project with Airbus Defence and Space, Vista GmbH, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF. Another example is the development of laser protection filters for pilot eyewear, which are already transitioning into series production.
The project’s economic success underscores its significance: numerous Eoss production systems have already been brought to market through industrial partners, including as the FHR.Star/Eoss system in cooperation with FHR Anlagenbau GmbH and, in the next-generation version, as the Opta X system with Von Ardenne GmbH.