Dielectric Coatings

Dielectric coatings, also called thin film coatings or interference coatings, consist of thin layers of transparent dielectric materials, which are deposited on a substrate. Their function is essentially to modify the reflective properties of the surface by exploiting the interference of reflections from multiple optical interfaces. They can be used for highly reflecting laser mirrors or partially transmissive output couplers, for dichroic mirrors, for anti-reflection coatings, for various kinds of optical filters, beam splitters, heat reflectors, solar cell covers, and thin film polarizers.