Rubicon Technology,an advanced electronic materials provider that develops and manufactures high quality monocrystalline sapphire products, has launched a special project named Large-Area Net-shape Crystal Extraction (LANCE) to develop a unique new crystal growth platform to manufacture large optical-grade windows for military and industrial applications. The project is supported by a grant from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), with a total value of $4.7 million over three years.
 
Existing methods used to produce sapphire windows do not meet all the demands of military applications. Rubicon Technology has developed an entirely new growth platform specifically to produce very large polished sapphire infrared (IR) windows for the Air Force Research Laboratory. Production will be scaled to meet the current and future requirements of the Air Force, beginning with intermediate sizes and progressing to windows as large as 36 x 18 x 0.8 inches. These sapphire windows will meet a variety of needs in both government and private sector applications.
 
Sapphire is a desirable material for military and other high-performance applications due to its hardness and strength, transparency in the visible and IR spectrum, thermal conductivity, thermal shock resistance, abrasion resistance, high melting point and chemical inertness. As a result, it is ideally suited for IR windows in extreme environments where material durability is just as important as optical clarity.