Geared to Solve Demanding Optical Challenges

Semiconductor Processing

Sub-Diffraction Limited Lenses

Semiconductor demands are at an all-time high, and the pressure is on for manufacturing and inspection lenses that increase yield. Achieving the exact requirements demands extremely precise optical lenses that perform below the diffraction limit.

Photon Gear designs and manufactures lenses and opto-mechanical assemblies at wavelengths ranging from deep UV to the near infrared. Many of our lenses perform at 1/2 or 2/3 of the diffraction limit, making them an ideal fit for the extreme precision required by the semiconductor industry. Our lenses can integrate into a system without blowing up your rms wavefront budget. Our in-house cleanroom optical assembly facility and highly refined assembly processes have been proven to generate consistent high-performance assemblies. Some examples of our work:

• Sub-diffraction limited objectives
• Large field scan lenses
• Achromatized terahertz laser scan lenses

Life Sciences

Faster Processing with Custom, High NA Objectives

Biomedical technologies such as genome sequencing rely on objectives that maximize throughput.

Photon Gear delivers complex optical systems with custom, high NA objectives and large field of view assemblies to maximize throughput. Examples of our work include:

• Large field telecentric lens for bacterial detection
• High NA objectives
• Lightweight, high performance objectives
• Multi-wavelength optical system with custom prism used in cataract removal surgery

Commercial

Feasibility and Discovery

It’s one thing to come up with an idea – an innovative design that creates a competitive advantage. But market share and margin come from repeatability. This kind of grit demands the same in your optical design and assembly partner.

Rely on Photon Gear’s expert knowledge in optical assembly manufacturing to determine the feasibility of your system. We’ll guide the project through issues like tolerancing, design for manufacturability, system integration, and supply chain.

Multi-Wavelength Test Lab Uncovers the Core of a Problem

Have a lens or optical assembly that doesn’t perform? Photon Gear has invested in interferometry to test a full spectrum of wavelengths. With custom metrology set-ups and testing protocols, we can tell you what went wrong and provide recommendations to improve your optical design or assembly performance. In fact, we often disassemble lenses if that helps to determine a better manufacturing path. Our test lab has been used to:

• Measure axial chromatic aberration in a high-NA microscope objective for biomedical imaging, which led customer to understand the need for a redesign.
• Field flatness in high NA objectives to determine available process windows
• Measure wavefront performance at the use wavelength to determine actual performance

Research and Development

Solving the Most Demanding Optical Challenges

Making frontier discoveries requires new imaging systems — and optical designers who don’t back down from a challenge.

Photon Gear’s expert optical design capabilities meet your most challenging projects. We deliver low volume, highly complex custom lenses and optical assemblies varying in function, wavelength and/or numerical aperture backed by interferometry testing from the deep UV to near IR. Recent projects include:

• Atom imagers used for quantum computing
• Imaging assembly for 3D microscopy
• IR lens and UV lens assemblies
• Ultra-precise null lenses
• Multi-gigapixel imaging lenses