Kyocera’s cordierite components required the application of an advanced deep black coating, that only Acktar, a world expert in black coating solutions, could provide.

June 2023, Kiryat Gat, Israel: Acktar Ltd. announced that it has successfully completed the first-ever coating of fine ceramics for Kyocera Corporation, Japan. Acktar’s expertise was required to provide a light-absorbing black coating, that works in complement with the excellent physical qualities of Kyocera’s cordierite components.

The cordierite-based fine ceramics developed by Kyocera are used as structural components in advanced optical, photonic and opto-electronic applications, and are in high demand for cutting-edge projects, in areas such as ground and space telescopes, adaptive optics and semiconductor manufacturing. These low thermal expansion ceramics are known for their long-term dimensional and thermal stability, their very low roughness, and superior flatness.

To ensure the coated product retained its qualities, Acktar had adapted its fully space-qualified Vacuum Black™ coating to fit Kyocera’s requirements. In addition to absorbing up to 98.5% of light in the EUV-SWIR wavelength range, the coating exhibits great thermal stability in a wide range of temperatures (from 4K to 723K), and barely affects the shape, size and surface variables of the substrate, retaining the cordierite’s flatness and smoothness. The ultra-thin layer of Acktar’s proprietary coating also provides protection from ATOX and accumulation of static electricity.

“Acktar is excited with this opportunity to work Kyocera’s fine ceramics as a substrate. Kyocera Cordierite’s thermal expansion is nearly zero at room temperature (+/-20ppb), and its long dimensional stability is less than 4nm per meter per year, and those are incredible numbers. The compatibility between Kyocera’s materials and Acktar’s black coatings had led to great results. We believe this project will lead to creating new technologies and technical capabilities, especially in the space and semiconductor manufacturing industries”, said Dina Katsir, CTO of Acktar Ltd.

“Kyocera is satisfied with the quality of the coating done by Acktar on our low thermal expansion ceramic cordierite. We hope that our first prototype of the cordierite optical telescope, produced in this project, will be qualified by our customer in the near future. This is the first collaboration between Acktar and Kyocera, and we are looking forward to future collaborative work, not only on space projects, but also in other fields of industry,” said Masa Kamiura, Business Development 1, Corporate Fineceramics Group of Kyocera Corporation Japan.

Acktar Ltd. International was established in 1993, and had since become a world leader in light-absorbing materials and coatings, providing solutions for stray-light suppression. Acktar’s ultra-black coatings and foils are used in opto-mechanical components and applications such as lens housings, baffles, optical sensors, light detectors, and more. The coatings are featured prominently in a variety of areas – from semiconductor and electro-optical, to the biomedical and automotive industries, and especially in the space industry, where Acktar has participated in countless missions and projects.

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