In-house Production at LASER COMPONENTS
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We stopped being a sole distributor in 1986 when we started the in-house production of laser optics. In the years that followed we expanded the development and production of our own components step by step.
Today, almost half of our turnover is generated by products “made by LASER COMPONENTS.” More than 50 employees worldwide at six locations manufacture components for the optoelectronic and laser industry.
Laser Optics
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 Laser optics | |  Coating chamber with IAD gun | |
LASER COMPONENTS has manufactured hard dielectric coatings for laser optics in the spectral range from 193 nm (UV) to 5 µm (MIR) since 1986.
Inside our specially-developed, high-vacuum chambers containing an electron beam gun, we coat both our own as well as substrates supplied by customers with diameters ranging from 4 to 200 mm. With process temperatures of less than 100 °C it is also possible to equip fully assembled fibers, plastic lenses, and glued and assembled optics with a hard, laser-proof coating.
The department has meanwhile developed five coaters. Some of our specialties include the manufacture of glass parabolic mirrors for thin disk lasers, adaptive optics, and Gaussian mirrors. LASER COMPONENTS coats laser optics using both a PVD process and ion assistance. We recently added sputtered coatings to our manufacturing range.
Optics Production
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 Washer | |  Polishing | |
On April 25, 2008, LASER COMPONENTS celebrated the opening of its state-of-the-art production facility for the manufacture of lenses in Olching. Substrates with a diameter of 10 mm to 50 mm can be ground and polished according to customer specifications. All types of lenses (plano-concave, plano-convex, biconcave, and biconvex) can be manufactured with a radius that ranges between 12 mm and 12,000 mm.
The high quality of the lenses manufactured here in Olching is particularly worth mentioning. Also, the extremely short delivery time of up to 10 business days (coating included) will excite our customers.
Laser Diodes
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 Lead salt laser diode | |  Clean room | |
LASER COMPONENTS manufactures a wide range of laser diodes, mostly for spectroscopic applications in the near (NIR) and mid (MIR) infrared wavelength range. Diode lasers for terhertz frequencies (THz) have been added to the production portfolio recently. After a technology transfer from the Fraunhofer-Institut für Physikalische Messtechnik, Freiburg in 1993, the complete production line for IV-VI semiconductor lasers was under one roof (at LASER COMPONENTS). At LASER COMPONENTS, III-V semiconductor lasers are also assembled and the wavelength is selected upon request. Our range of laser diodes includes lead salt lasers (PbSe), quantum cascade lasers (QCL), DFB lasers, VCSELs, and IR spectrometers for the use of PbSe or QCL lasers. Single-mode lasers made by LASER COMPONENTS are available under the quality brand name SPECDILAS®.
Customers can make use of our application laboratory.
Assembled Fiber Optics
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 Fiber connector assembly | |  Production facility in Olching, Germany | |
Based on the needs of our customers, we began developing and manufacturing assembled fiber optics in 1995 for more flexibility and better availability. Since that time, the range of available fiber / connector combinations has grown steadily and a large production volume has also been made available. The range of assembled fibers stretches from large core HCS fibers starting at 50 µm to >1000 µm. Special products such as sterile patch cords, high power SMA connectors with free-standing fibers, and light bundles made from POFs have stemmed from the developments made in recent years. We mainly focus on customer specific solutions (i.e. for use in the medical field, sensor technology field, production, and the automotive industry). Take the opportunity to talk directly to the manufacturer about your application.
Pulsed Laser Diodes
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 Pulsed laser diodes | |  Clean room facility in Montreal, Canada | |
The experienced team at LASER COMPONENTS Canada, Inc. has manufactured high power pulsed laser diodes since 2002 and has specialized in the assembly of these special semiconductor lasers. LASER COMPONENTS possesses its own chip structure that is marked by the highest efficiency and was specifically developed for the high power requirements of such applications as laser rangefinding. Laser diodes are available at 905 nm and 1550 nm and in different housings. Apart from the standard program we have engaged in large projects for customers in the industrial, medical, and military fields over the past few years.
Avalanche Photodiodes
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 Avalanche Photodiode | |  APD-Production in Tempe, Arizona | |
LASER COMPONENTS DG, Inc. has manufactured silicon avalanche photodiodes in Tempe, Arizona (near Phoenix), since 2004. The complete production chain of these delicate photodiodes is in our own hands. The detectors are based on a semiconductor structure that has been specifically developed for us. We distinguish ourselves from comparable components of other manufacturers, particularly in the high end market segment. This has lead to a technology leap in APD technology which has not be seen in years. The standard program comprises epitaxy and reach-through APDs with active area diameters from 80 µm to 3.0 mm. Standard APDs are available for the red wavelength range and the NIR range from 800 – 900 nm as well as 1060 nm. Applications can be found wherever the smallest amounts of light, right down to a single photon, need to be detected. Main applications include laser radar systems and biomedical applications.
Laser Diode Modules
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 Laser Diode Modules FLEXPOINT® | |  FLEXPOINT® production in Ueberlingen | |
The Blau Optoelektronik GmbH is an important member of the LASER COMPONENTS Group. For more than ten years they have developed and manufactured laser diode modules and optoelectronic measurement systems. An experienced team has handled the high production volume while maintaining a high degree of flexibility. Their vast experience and concentration on the essentials has guaranteed high quality products over the years. They produce over 40,000 units per year with a return rate averaging one in every thousand. We manufacture laser diode modules for alignment and positioning tasks in medicine, industry, and crafts as well as pilot lasers for a large number of laser manufacturers.
Calibration Laboratory
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 Gentec-EO power meter and monitor | |  NIST calibration lab in Olching, Germany | |
Together with Gentec-EO, LASER COMPONENTS offers a calibration service for thermopile detectors and display units. Our calibration setup is identical to the one from our Canadian partner. We save our European customers both time and money as it is no longer necessary to ship to Canada. The measurements are based on NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) standards.
In many cases customers that buy other brands can also be helped. If you send us your detector head together with the readout unit we are usually able to perform a calibration sufficient for the majority of applications.
Spectroscopic Application Laboratory
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 MIR Laser spectrometer | |  Application lab for spectroscopy | |
We have added a laboratory for the production of IV VI IR diode lasers. This lab can be rented together with experienced personnel for measurements and feasibility studies. Spectroscopic measurements of the customer’s samples or of reference gases from LASER COMPONENTS can be performed with the help of PbSe or quantum cascade lasers in the range from 3 to 25 µm or 5.5 to 12 µm, respectively. We would be more than happy to inform newcomers to high resolution spectroscopy about their options and possible fields of application.