Sapphire Optical Prisms

Custom Sapphire Optical Prisms

Precision sapphire prisms for UV, visible and IR applications requiring optical stability and mechanical durability.

Microwork manufactures custom sapphire optical prisms for applications where optical transmission, mechanical durability, thermal stability and chemical resistance are required.

Sapphire, single-crystal Al2O3, is suitable for optical components used in demanding environments such as aerospace, deep-sea systems, laser optics, medical optics, imaging systems and high-temperature or corrosive conditions.

Compared with common optical glass, sapphire offers excellent hardness, scratch resistance, chemical resistance and thermal stability. However, sapphire is more difficult to cut, grind and polish, so prism geometry, angle tolerance, surface quality, coating and edge condition should be reviewed carefully during design.

Custom prism shapes, sizes, angles, surface quality and UV / IR coating requirements can be reviewed based on your optical system and operating environment.

Available Sapphire Prism Types

Available prism configurations may include:

• Right-angle sapphire prisms
• Wedge prisms
• Dispersion prisms
• Reflecting prisms
• Custom-angle sapphire prisms
• Small sapphire micro-prisms
• Custom-shaped optical prism components

Custom geometry can be reviewed according to angle tolerance, surface quality, coating requirement and mounting method.

Typical Specifications

Material: Optical-grade single-crystal sapphire
Wavelength range: UV, visible and IR applications depending on design
Surface quality: 60/40, 40/20 or 20/10 depending on requirement
Flatness: Custom flatness available depending on size and optical surface
Angle tolerance: Custom angle tolerance available upon drawing review
Edge finish: Fine ground, chamfered or polished depending on design
Coating: AR coating, partial reflector coating or custom dielectric coating
Dimensions: Custom sizes available based on drawing

Engineering Considerations

When designing a sapphire prism, engineers should consider optical path, angle tolerance, surface quality, flatness, edge condition, coating durability and mounting stress.

Sapphire provides excellent durability compared with many optical glasses, but it is more difficult to machine and polish to tight optical specifications. Sharp edges, small prism size, tight angle tolerance, high surface quality and coating requirements can all affect manufacturability, lead time and cost.

For early-stage projects, please provide the drawing, prism type, angle tolerance, wavelength range, surface quality, coating requirement, dimensional tolerance and operating environment.

Need a Custom Sapphire Prism?

Send us your drawing, prism geometry, angle tolerance, wavelength range, coating requirement and operating conditions. We can help review manufacturability and key technical risks before quotation.