Lasers for grating manufacturing

Create high quality optical gratings with DPSS lasers designed for precision, high throughput fabrication

The fabrication and manufacture of high quality optical gratings depends on the stability, coherence, and wavelength of the laser source used in mastering. Our 320 nm continuous wave DPSS single frequency laser provides a solid-state alternative to helium cadmium (HeCd) laser systems, offering long coherence length, narrow linewidth, uniform intensity, and stable operation for reliable grating production.

Compared with a typical HeCd source, the Skylark NX 320 nm DPSS laser delivers higher usable output power, more than four times that of a standard HeCd laser, while maintaining stable operation over extended periods. The Skylark NX laser architecture provides superior spatial coherence and a TEM₀₀ Gaussian beam profile, ensuring uniform interference fringes during grating mastering. This combination of higher, reliably available UV power and excellent beam quality enables faster exposure times and more consistent grating structures than are achievable with conventional HeCd lasers.

Uniform intensity

≤ 0.3% RMS

Uniform laser intensity, enabling precise, defect-free optical gratings with consistent line spacing and refractive index.

Stable power

≤ 2.0%

Power stability ensures consistent exposure during fabrication, enabling repeatable grating efficiency and uniform modulation across substrates.

Uniform beam

M² ≤ 1.2

Operates with a pure TEM₀₀ mode with ellipticity > 95%, delivering uniform spatial quality and low-noise operation.

Consistent wavelength

± 0.2 pm

Stable wavelength over extended periods, ensuring spectral consistency and uniform grating formation.

Single frequency DPSS lasers produce high resolution, high fidelity optical gratings

Skylark NX lasers power applications in several optical grating mastering processes due to their uniform intensity, ultra-stable output, and coherence. Using the Skylark 320 NX or 349 NX, create high quality, high fidelity optical gratings using various mastering techniques and applications:

Volume Bragg gratings (VBGs), Chirped Volume Bragg gratings (CVBGs), grating-based sensors, diffractive optical elements (DOEs), diffraction grating fabrication, laser interference lithography, holography, spectroscopy, interferometry, lithography.

Chirped Volume Bragg gratings (CVBGs)

Chirped volume Bragg gratings have a varying periodicity along the grating length. The long coherence length and stable UV output of our single frequency 320 nm laser support precise recording of chirped profiles with high uniformity.

Linear gratings

Linear gratings consist of parallel lines or grooves etched at uniform intervals. Their performance depends on the groove spacing and depth.

Blazed gratings (symmetric, sinusoidal)

Blazed gratings have grooves shaped into a specific angle, optimized for directing light into a preferred diffraction order. Symmetric blazed gratings have evenly spaced, sharp grooves, while sinusoidal gratings have a wave-like structure.

Crossed gratings

Crossed or checkerboard gratings are formed by two sets of linear gratings etched perpendicularly to each other, creating a 2D grid that manipulates light in two dimensions.

Diffractive optical elements (DOEs)

Diffractive optical elements use microstructured patterns to control and shape light. DOEs can split, focus, or homogenise beams with high efficiency for applications in beam shaping, laser material processing, and advanced imaging. Precision mastering with a stable 320 nm single frequency laser ensures uniform feature size and high diffraction efficiency.

Transmission and reflection holographic gratings

Transmission gratings diffract light as it passes through the grating substrate, while reflection gratings redirect light off the surface. Both are widely applied in spectroscopy, metrology, and beam analysis. Single frequency 320 nm DPSS lasers provide the spatial coherence and beam uniformity required for producing transmission and reflection gratings with sharp, reproducible features.

Laser interference lithography (LIL)

Laser interference lithography (LIL) is used to create periodic structures for optical gratings by overlapping coherent UV beams on a photosensitive material. At 320 nm, a single frequency CW DPSS laser provides sufficient coherence and stability to form uniform interference fringes, enabling accurate and repeatable grating fabrication. This approach supports the production of surface relief gratings, photonic lattices, and volume Bragg gratings for applications in optics and photonics.

"It's taken 15 years to find a suitable replacement for our HeCd lasers. The Skylark 320 NX offers a suitable, stable alternative with the uniform intensity we need for fabricating gratings."

OPTICAL GRATINGS MANUFACTURER

FAQS

Switching from HeCd to DPSS lasers

Is 320 nm a suitable wavelength for grating manufacturing?
The 320 nm wavelength offers strong absorption in many industry standard photoresist materials used for grating production, enabling precise fringe recording and high diffraction efficiency. For setups switching from 325 nm to 320 nm: Many photoresists have high absorption at 320 nm, and broadband UV optics and coatings designed for 300 – 350 nm are compatible with both wavelengths. Setups that use filters or optics tuned specifically to 325 nm may need adjustment.
Can DPSS lasers replace HeCd lasers in optical grating manufacturing?
A 320 nm CW DPSS single frequency laser provides the coherence, beam quality, and UV wavelength needed for grating mastering. With up to 4x higher power and greater stability vs. typical HeCd systems, when switching to DPSS lasers in your production lines, you can expect shorter exposure times, more consistent interference fringes, and higher repeatability in grating structures. The additional usable UV power at 320 nm also improves process throughput while maintaining precise control over groove depth and spacing.
What is the cost of ownership of DPSS lasers?
DPSS lasers are solid-state and do not rely on gas discharge tubes. There are no consumable parts to replace or hazardous materials to dispose of. They also use significantly less electricity and efficient thermoelectric cooling. Day-to-day running costs are lower than with HeCd systems, which require more frequent servicing and higher operating overheads. When switching from HeCd to DPSS, your cost-of-ownership is significantly lower. Addressing SWAP-C limitations, reducing production costs, and generating a robust supply chain for quantum-enabling technology will widen current opportunities and open up new markets for quantum navigation, communications, sensing and computing.

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