About Us
Palmway Optical is a newly formed company (incorporated 2016) and has evolved out of its parent company – Saintech Ion Beam Systems (Inc. 1991). Saintech Ion Beam Systems is primarily involved in the development of a range of ion beam systems specifically intended for thin film deposition processes.
The newly formed Palmway Optical company now derives considerable benefit from the significant advances achieved and demonstrated by the products and processes developed by Saintech Ion Beam Systems.
Palmway Optical has the expertise, knowledge and facilities to produce the highest performing optical coatings.
About the Palmway Optical Director
Dr Wayne Sainty, Palmway Optical director, has extensive experience in all forms of optical coating processes. In the years between 1975 and 1997 he worked closely with a team of scientists and technologists at the CSIRO Division of Applied Physics. This same team of scientists were instrumental in producing world-leading advances in ion-based deposition processes. This work resulted in more than 30 scientific peer-reviewed publications.
Dr Wayne Sainty gained his PhD from the Sydney University Department of Applied Physics and the Chatterton Astronomy Department in 1995. His thesis for the PhD was titled “Protection of Optical Surfaces by Thin Films” which includes thin film preparation procedures ranging from Ion Assisted Deposition (IAD), Plasma-assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (Pa-CVD), magnetron sputtering (MgS) and Ion Plating (IP). Dr Sainty has authored and co-authored over thirty publications.
Over the past 25 years, Dr Sainty has actively pursued the development of a range of ion beam systems. In the course of this development, Dr Sainty has produced eight world patents.
About Palmway Optical Advanced Coating Process – LP-IAD
About our Coating Facilities
Palmway Optical operates two optical coating facilities. The largest of the two systems is a Balzers BAK760 which can facilitate substrates and mirrors to a maximum diameter of 750mm (30″).
Deposition equipment includes:
- A 4-pocket 6kW Telemark electron gun evaporator
- Saintech Ion Beam Systems models 1.5kW ST55 and 3kW ST3000
- Optical transmission monitoring
- Quartz crystal evaporation control and film thickness monitoring
- Polycold water vapor high speed pumping
All films are deposited to unheated substrates. All depositions are ion assisted using ultra high purity oxygen gas. For more information on the process click here.