Our production facility is placed on 1000 square meters and consists of several basic sub-divisions: optical components production, optical coatings area, and device production unit.

Optics production is basic subdivision and includes several areas:

Unit for metalwork where special tools for optics production are mainly made (photo #1). Machinery allows metal cutting to 200mm, as well as turn (to 500mm), sphere-turn (to 200mm), mill (to 200mm), and drill machining operations.

Then unit for blanking operations where primary materials are cut (photos #2,3), ground (photo #4), round, and tumbled. Components from 2 to 250mm are processed here.

Polishing area is equipped with machines and work tools to process spherical details to 200mm and flat ones to 250mm (photos #5,6,7,8). Accessible surface accuracy for optical components is as follows: power - N=0.2, irregularity - delta N=0.1; achievable surface quality is 10/5 scr/dig according to MIL (2 class on Russian GOST). Spectrum of our abilities in terms of used materials, shapes, surface accuracy and quality is presented in other chapters of our site more complete and precise. The components with the sizes more than 250mm are produced in close cooperation with our subcontractors. Polishing area as well as the one for blanking operation are provided with air-conditioning system, combined extract and input ventilation, compressed and extract air systems to the machines.

Area for technical quality control is equipped with various instruments and tools for testing of all needed component parameters with sufficient accuracy (photos #9,10,11).

For instance, limiting parameters for optical components are the following: angular dimensions - 5 arc sec, linear dimensions - 0.2 microns, surface accuracy - L/10 at 546.1 nm. Interferometer measurements of flat surfaces to 200mm are carried out at modernized interferometers IT-200 (photo #12) and IT-70 as well as at originally designed IFL-200 (photo #13). Spherical surfaces are controlled by means of test glasses in quantity of 2000 pcs.

Optical coating facility is provided with vacuum chambers VU-1AI and VU-2MI (Byelorussia) (photo #14) allowing depositing of dielectric and metal coatings operating in spectral range from 200 nm to 20 microns by means of electron-beam and thermal evaporation techniques. Ion surface cleaning and ion-assisted deposition techniques are used. Coating spectral parameters are controlled at FTIR spectrometer Vertex 70 from Bruker Optics (1-200 microns range) (photo #15) and at spectrovisor of original design (0.2-1.1 micron) in the following modes: transmission, reflection, at various angles, and polarized radiation included. Spectral inspection tests of optical materials and finished components without coatings are also fulfilled at the instruments. Environmental tests, abrasion durability tests, adhesion tests, and other tests of coatings are realized here.

Currently device area has been specializing in engineering output of Golay cells - optical-acoustic detectors intended for operation in widest spectral range from visible to terahertz waves. Complete production cycle is mastered here: synthesis of organic films with subsequent coating deposition in vacuum, details assembling using vacuum technology (photo #16), preliminary adjustment and checkout of construction units (photo #17), assembling of the devices as a whole, and their following calibration (photo #18). Electronics from HP/Agilent, Thorlabs, Ircon, Velleman, specialized vacuum equipment assembled on basis of BOC Edwards components, and vibroprotection system from Standa as well as high purity substances (gases, polymers, and dissolvents) are used in device production. Expansion of produced instruments mix is planned in sight.