Optical Fabrication By Precision Electroform

Ronald W. George; Lawrence L. Michaud

doi:10.1117/12.978904

1 January 1987 Optical Fabrication By Precision Electroform

Ronald W. George, Lawrence L. Michaud

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 0818, Current Developments in Optical Engineering II; (1987) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.978904
Event: 31st Annual Technical Symposium on Optical and Optoelectronic Applied Sciences and Engineering, 1987, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

The basic electroforming process exactly reproduces finely finished surface details from a master mold or mandrel. The process promises high potential for fabricating imaging quality optical components. This requires, however, the electrodeposition to be nearly stress free to attain accuracy within fractions of a wavelength (1.06 um) of light. Prior to this work, this level of accuracy had never been accomplished. This paper presents the advances made to the method and the process of electroforming in creating the routine production of imaging quality nickel metal mirrors. Work to date includes the electroforming of self-aligning two mirrored telescopes; the development of a large electroforming workstation to produce several mirrors simultaneously, and the development of a process for electroforming secondary mandrels. A generic process overview is presented along with opto-mechanical testing and results. Also included is a description of the general computer controlled closed loop process (Martin Marietta U.S. Patent #4,647,365 & #4,648,944). The work described was performed at Martin Marietta Corporation (Orlando) with the majority conducted under contract DAAHO1-85-C-1072 for the U.S. Army Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, August 1985 through August 1987

Citation Download Citation

Ronald W. George and Lawrence L. Michaud "Optical Fabrication By Precision Electroform", Proc. SPIE 0818, Current Developments in Optical Engineering II, (1 January 1987); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.978904

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