Improved Coatings for Helmet Mounted Display Visors using Filtered Cathodic Arc Plasma Deposition

Alameda Applied Sciences Corporation (AASC) proposes to develop and commercialize stable, more durable and less expensive optical multi-layer coatings that can turn a visor into a display screen for helmet mounted display devices, with minimal impact onthe pilot's overall visual acuity. The innovation proposed is to use filtered cathodic arc plasmas to deposit high density optical coatings that are superior to other coating methods, such as Electron Beam Evaporation, R.F. and D.C. Magnetron Sputtering,Ion Beam Assisted Deposition and Reactive Sputtering. All of these produce deposition energies <1eV, whereas cathodic arc plasmas are characterized by relatively high ion energies (20-150 eV), which lead to excellent adhesion and to denser films andtherefore better optical characteristics due to the lack of voids in the coating. In addition, our innovative coating technique produces a very low average heat transfer that does not damage even sensitive substrates during the coating process. The Phase Ieffort will theoretically determine the structure of the required coatings and produce sample coatings of eight stacks of metal oxides by filtered cathodic arc plasma deposition on several substrates. During Phase II, full-scale, large area prototypecoatings will be fabricated and tested to ensure reliability and functionality.The proposed new coatings will find commercial applications in diverse arenas, such as space based sensors, automotive and aircraft windows, Wavelength Division Multiplexers(WDM), energy efficient residential and commercial windows and solar cell array surfaces for space applications.