Abstract: A battery powered deposition system and process for applying aluminum, silver, and SiO films (and their derivatives such as aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride and silicon dioxide) especially for making broadband reflective coatings for mirrors. One or more filaments are wetted with a filament wetting material such as aluminum or a silver alloy. In a preferred embodiment filaments are heated quickly to a high temperature with an array of batteries and the filament wetting material is deposited as a reflective coating on the mirror.

Abstract: A process for a low temperature, ion-assisted, evaporation technique (IAD), whereby the coating stress of a silicon film may be manipulated from compressive to tensile, in order to produce a near-zero net stress for the complete layer. A Si cladding with little intrinsic stress is essential to allow thick coatings to be manufactured without cracking. A low stress coating also minimizes substrate bending that would otherwise distort the figure of very lightweight mirrors.