Materials

Infrared (IR) Materials Overview

II-VI Incorporated was founded in 1971 to supply better materials to infrared optics producers. Initially starting with cadmium telluride, II-VI gravitated to producing zinc selenide and zinc sulfide during the 1980s. II-VI’s vertical integration, from materials growth through precision optics manufacturing, positions the company as the leader in CO2 laser optics.

Today, II-VI Infrared is the world’s leading producer of ZnSe material. Our ZnS Regular and ZnS MultiSpectral materials are used in a growing number of infrared systems both domestically and abroad.

For more specific information, click on the following links:

Common Transmissive Substrates

Optical Properties

Thermal
Properties

Mechanical Properties

Material

Bulk
Absorption
Coefficient
@ 10.6µm
(/cm)

Refractive
Index
@ 10.6µm
(unitless)

Temp.
Change of
Refractive
Index
@ 10.6µm
(x10-6/oC)

Thermal
Conductivity
@ 20oC
(W/cm/oC)

Linear
Expansion
Coefficient
@ 20oC
(x10-6/oC)

Young’s
Modulus
(x106 psi)

Rupture
Modulus
(x103 psi)

Hardness
(Knoop)

Mass
Density
(g/cm3)

ZnSe

0.0005

2.403

61

0.18

7.57

9.75

8.0

105-120

5.27

ZnS

0.24

2.192

41

0.167

6.8

10.80

15.0

210-240

4.08

ZnS (MS)*

0.2

2.192

0.272

6.5

12.40

10.0

150-160

4.09

CdTe

0.0018

2.674

107

0.062

5.9

5.40

3.2

45

5.85

GaAs

0.01

3.275

149

0.48

5.6

12.04

20.0

750

5.31

Ge

0.03

4.003

408

0.59

6.0

14.50

13.5

692

5.32

Si

1.5

3.418

160

1.56

2.56

19.00

18.0

1150

2.33

NaCl

0.00045

1.491

-22

0.065

44.0

5.80

4.1

18.2

2.16

KCl

0.00014

1.455

-33

0.065

36.0

4.35

0.64

7.2-9.3

1.98

KBr

0.00042

1.525

-26

0.029

43.0

3.92

0.48

5.9-7.0

2.75

KRS-5

0.005

~2.37

-99

0.0054

58.0

2.32

18.1

40

7.37

Amtir-1

0.02

2.495

77

0.0025

13.0

3.20

2.5

170

4.40

AL2O3

1.72

15

0.46

5.8

49.30

50.0

1400

3.97

CaF2

0.0015 @ 2.94µm

1.4 @ 5µm

-11

0.10

18.9

11.0

5.4

158

3.18

Quartz**

1.45

10

0.014

0.55

10.6

7.0

600

2.20

Diamond

0.12

2.375

9.6

20.0

0.80

152.3

36.3

9000

3.51

*MS is MultiSpectral grade ZnS **Quartz is IR grade quartz

Common Metallic Substrates

Thermal Properties

Mechanical Properties

Material

Specific
Heat
(J/g/oC)

Thermal
Conductivity
@ 20oC
(W/cm/oC)

Expansion
Coefficient
@ 20oC
(x10-6/oC)

Young’s
Modulus
(x106 psi)

Hardness
(Mohs)

Mass
Density
(g/cm3)

Cu

0.385

3.90

16.7

17

3

8.96

Mo

0.250

1.33

5.4

47

6

10.2

Si

0.716

1.56

2.6

29

7

2.32

Al

0.900

1.67

22.5

10

2.75

2.7