Surge of Photonics Applications Lights Up the Precision Optics Business

3D Imaging - What do virtual reality, gesture control, 3-D imaging, mobile sensors and infrared cameras for smartphones have in common? They are all part of a wave of new photonics technologies recently introduced or coming to market soon with expectations for significant growth. And they all require the kind of highly specialized precision coatings and optical filters that Materion is uniquely qualified to provide.

Materion’s high-performance optical filters are essential components of most gesture recognition and gesture control systems, as well as hand-held 3-D mapping devices and virtual reality systems now in development. Most of these filters are manufactured at Materion’s facility in Shanghai, China, acquired in 2011.

Wafer-Level Coating - Materion invested in a dedicated, high-volume facility for low-defect, infrared wafer-level coatings at our Westford, Massachusetts location. One new Westford customer is a manufacturer of ultraviolet sensors that enable mobile device users to check the danger level of UV radiation from the sun. Materion selectively patterns and applies optical filters directly on top of the active 200mm device wafers supplied by the customer. This capability, unique to Materion, enables device manufacturers to reduce weight and achieve a smaller form factor.