RF discharge technology for remote optics cleaning in harsh environments

The University of Basel created an original methodology to control and monitor the cleaning process of metallic optics exposed to dirty environments, preserving their performance and extending their lifetime.

Technology assets

• The cleaning is performed using RF plasma discharge (13.6 or 60 MHz).
• The discharge parameters can be tuned to optimize the cleaning procedure depending on the optics geometry and coating.
• The cleaning process is environmentally friendly and can be stopped at the right time to save energy
• Available for applications like space propulsion, furnaces or plasma processes.