Inrad Optics Inc. announced Tuesday that it has installed a new plasma-assisted e-beam vacuum deposition system to advance its thin-film coating capabilities. The 96-in. chamber, which enhances thin-film quality by altering its mechanical and optical properties, will increase the company’s capacity, enabling it to handle parts up to 1 m in diameter. Similar to ion-assisted e-beam processes, plasma-based deposition relies on electron beams to evaporate coating materials prior to deposition on a substrate. However, plasma assist combines reactive ions and evaporated coating materials within high-density direct-current plasma, yielding higher-quality thin films than previous processes. The system also will eliminate production bottlenecks to improve lead times and process control, said George Murray, vice president of sales and marketing. “Access to this level of technology in-house rounds out our turnkey custom optics services and is a springboard for delivering some of the industry's most advanced coatings services.” For more information, visit: www.inradoptics.com/coatings