Ultra low residual reflection, low stress lens coating

A method for making optical lenses having an anti-reflection (AR) coating comprising the steps of:

• supplying one or more optical lens and an optical reference lens;
• positioning the lens and the optical reference lens in a vacuum deposition chamber in the same coating plane, the vacuum deposition chamber having an optical monitor communicating with the optical reference lens;
• providing in the chamber at least one source of a high index of refraction AR coating composition and at least one low index of refraction AR coating composition;
• applying a layer of the high index of refraction composition on the lens until the desired optical thickness coating is obtained as determined by the optical monitor;
• applying a layer of the low index of refraction composition on the lens until the desired optical thickness coating is obtained as determined by the optical monitor;
• and
• repeating the AR application steps until the desired AR coating is applied;
• wherein the optical monitor comprises means for directing an on/off beam of light into the chamber at the optical reference lens, measuring the reflected light from the reference lens at a particular frequency and using this measurement to determine when the desired optical coating thickness is achieved.

A method for making optical lenses having an anti-reflection (AR) coating comprising the steps of:

• supplying an optical lens;
• positioning the lens in a vacuum chamber of a vacuum deposition apparatus;
• providing in the vacuum chamber a source of at least one high index of refraction AR composition and at least low index of refraction AR composition wherein one of the high index materials comprises a mixture of cerium and titanium oxides and one of the low index materials comprises SiO2;
• applying a layer of the high index material on the lens until the desired optical thickness coating is applied;
• applying a layer of the low index material on the lens until the desired optical thickness coating is applied;
• and
• repeating the application steps until the desired anti-reflection coating is applied.