Optical Coating Service UK — From R&D to Mass Production
Kingsview Optical operates one of the most comprehensive optical coating service UK facilities available from a single-site precision optics manufacturer. With five vacuum coating chambers spanning thermal evaporation, electron beam deposition and magnetron sputtering, we can produce the full range of optical thin film coatings — from simple single-layer anti-reflection coatings through to complex multi-layer bandpass filters, shortpass and longpass filters — all designed in-house using Essential Macleod thin film design software and verified on our Perkin-Elmer Lambda 1050+ spectrophotometer.
Our coating service is available both as part of our integrated manufacture offering — where components we have produced go directly from polishing to coating without leaving site — and as a standalone service for customers who supply their own optics for coating. Whether you need a prototype coating run of a handful of components or mass production across both 900mm chambers simultaneously, we have the capacity and process control to deliver consistently.
New Capability — Sputtering Coating Chamber
In 2024 Kingsview invested in a magnetron sputtering coating chamber, significantly expanding our capability as an optical coating service UK provider. Sputtering deposition produces denser, harder thin film layers than thermal evaporation, which translates directly into improved coating durability, better environmental stability and the ability to produce more complex multi-layer stacks with tighter spectral control.
The sputtering chamber extends our production capability into coating types that were previously beyond the reach of evaporation-based processes:
- Bandpass filters — defined transmission windows with high out-of-band rejection, for fluorescence, spectroscopy and laser line applications
- Shortpass filters — transmitting below a defined cut-on wavelength with steep edge transition
- Longpass filters — transmitting above a defined cut-on wavelength, blocking shorter wavelengths
- Hard oxide coatings — durable AR coatings with improved scratch and environmental resistance for demanding applications
This investment positions Kingsview as one of the few UK optical coating suppliers capable of producing these complex filter types in-house, without relying on overseas coating houses or extended lead times.
Optical Coatings Available
Anti-Reflection Coatings
- Single layer MgF2 — cost-effective broadband AR for standard applications
- Multilayer BBAR — custom-designed broadband anti-reflection, typically 425–675nm or to your specified range
- V-coat — optimised single-wavelength anti-reflection for laser and narrowband applications
- Hard oxide AR — sputtered AR coating with enhanced durability for demanding environments
Mirror Coatings
- Protected aluminium — broadband UV to IR reflectance, durable for handling
- Enhanced aluminium — higher visible reflectance than protected aluminium
- Protected silver — very high visible and NIR reflectance
- Protected gold — optimised for infrared applications
- Dielectric mirrors — very high reflectance at defined wavelengths or bands
- Partial reflectors and beamsplitters — custom split ratios
Filter Coatings (new sputtering capability)
- Bandpass filters — defined transmission window with high out-of-band blocking
- Shortpass filters — transmitting below cut-on wavelength
- Longpass filters — transmitting above cut-on wavelength
- Notch filters — blocking a defined narrow wavelength band
Specialist Coatings
- Chrome, aluminium and silver for graticule and reticle production
- Dichroic coatings
Coating Verification — Perkin-Elmer Lambda 1050+
Every coating produced at Kingsview is verified using our Perkin-Elmer Lambda 1050+ spectrophotometer — one of the most capable coating measurement instruments available. The Lambda 1050+ operates across a wavelength range of 175nm to 3,000nm, covering UV, visible and near-infrared with high photometric accuracy. This enables us to verify coating performance across the full spectral range of the coating design, not just at a single wavelength.
For customers requiring coating documentation, we can supply spectrophotometry traces showing measured transmission or reflectance against the design target. Witness samples are retained for traceability. This level of measurement capability is particularly important for defence, medical device and research applications where coating performance must be documented and traceable.
Precision Dicing — Disco Dicing Saw
Our recent investment in a Disco dicing saw has improved the quality and precision of our filter and substrate dicing capability. Dicing saws use a high-speed resin-bonded diamond blade to cut optical components and filter glass to precise dimensions with clean, chip-free edges — a significant improvement over conventional sawing for thin or fragile optical materials. This is particularly relevant for bandpass and narrowband filter production, where edge quality directly affects the usable clear aperture and assembly fit. The Disco saw also allows us to dice coated wafers into individual filter chips with minimal edge damage, reducing waste and improving yield on complex coated filter production.
Reticule/Graticule Production
With our dark room specifically developed for reticule production we can coat components and then in the next room produce reticules through photolithography with every stage manufactured in house.
