Evaporated Coatings, Inc.

What Evaporated Coatings, Inc. does

Evaporated Coatings, Inc. (ECI) is a U.S. thin film optical coatings manufacturer founded in 1960 and headquartered in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. The company produces precision optical coatings including anti-reflection, ion beam sputtering (IBS), mirror, transparent conductive, beamsplitter, attenuation, and metal/dielectric deposition coatings applied to glass, plastic and molded polymer, fiber optic, crystal, and semiconductor substrates across wavelengths from approximately 240nm to 2500nm+. Core deposition platforms include Ion Beam Sputtering, Electron Beam evaporation, Leybold APS, and Ion-Assisted Deposition; differentiated capabilities include low-temperature coating (below 50°C) for temperature-sensitive substrates and high laser damage threshold coatings rated to 40 J/cm² at 20ns/1064nm.

ECI serves customers across five primary verticals: aerospace and defense (MIL-spec coatings for vision systems, target designators, and harsh-environment optics), semiconductor manufacturing (silicon, InP, garnet substrates), life sciences and medical imaging (OCT, ophthalmology), LiDAR and sensing, and fiber optics and telecommunications (laser diodes, fiber arrays). The company qualifies for defense work under ITAR registration and holds ISO 9001:2015 certification, supporting access to programs where incumbency and compliance matter.

The business operates on a B2B direct-sales model with an engineering-led Request-for-Quote (RFQ) process that commits to 24-hour response times. Revenue is generated through custom, build-to-print coating orders with quote-based pricing; no standard public price list exists, and contracts are described as multi-year. ECI was acquired by HEF Photonics USA on May 8, 2026, adding 16 coating systems to the acquirer's portfolio and bringing combined U.S. optical coating capacity to more than 50 systems across East and West Coast facilities.

Name

Evaporated Coatings, Inc.

Legal name

Evaporated Coatings, Inc.

Website

https://evaporatedcoatings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Evaporated Coatings, Inc. is a U.S. thin film optical coatings manufacturer producing custom AR, mirror, beamsplitter, and IBS coatings for aerospace, defense, semiconductor, life sciences, and telecom customers. Founded 1960; acquired by HEF Photonics USA in May 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Willow Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Optical Coatings Manufacturing: ECI manufactures custom and standard thin film optical coatings to customer specifications. Revenue is generated through one-time custom manufacturing orders for optical components across various industries including aerospace, defense, semiconductor, and life sciences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Evaporated Coatings, Inc. manufactures custom and standard thin film optical coatings and filters using Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS), Electron Beam evaporation, Leybold APS, and Ion-Assisted Deposition. The company coats a wide range of substrates — glass, plastics/polymers, fiber optic devices, crystals, semiconductors, and metals — for customers in aerospace, defense, semiconductor, life sciences, telecommunications, and LiDAR/sensing markets, operating a quote-based direct sales model with 24-hour RFQ response.

Product overview

Evaporated Coatings, Inc. (ECI) is a thin film optical coatings manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of precision optical coatings and filters. The core product line includes Anti-Reflection (AR) Coatings, Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS) Coatings, Custom Optical Coatings, Mirror Coatings, Transparent Conductive Coatings, Beamsplitters, Attenuation Coatings, and Metal & Dielectric Depositions. These are complemented by specialized filter products including Optical Band Pass Filters, Notch/Band Stop Filters, Dichroic Filters, Neutral Density Filters, Long/Short Wave Pass Filters, Laser Dielectric Mirror Coatings, and IR Bandpass Filters. ECI also provides coating services for various substrates including glass, plastic/molded polymer optics, fiber optic devices, and crystals/semiconductors/garnet. The company operates with over 60 years of experience, offering both standard designs and custom solutions for aerospace, defense, semiconductor, life sciences, biomedical, telecommunications, and industrial applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Anti-Reflection (AR) Coatings Custom and standard anti-reflective coatings from super low narrow band to extended high performance broadband, designed to reduce reflection and increase light transmission through optical surfaces for aerospace, defense, medical, and sensing applications.
• Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS) Coatings Low loss optical coatings deposited with high energy Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS) to create extremely dense films ensuring stable performance under severe temperature and humidity conditions.
• Custom Optical Coatings Thin film designs deposited with Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS), Leybold APS or Ion-Assisted E-beam processes for custom optical filter applications, leveraging in-house design services.
• Mirror Coatings Optical mirror coatings that consistently meet or exceed industry standards for environmental durability and laser damage, including dielectric and protected metal mirrors.
• Transparent Conductive Coatings ITO and ITO AR Transparent Conductive coatings deposited at low process temperatures, providing electrical conductivity with optical transparency for displays, EMI/RFI shielding, and ESD static dissipation applications.
• Beamsplitters Metal and Dielectric Beamsplitter coatings for use in the 240nm – 2000nm wavelength range, splitting incident light into two or more separate beams.
• Attenuation Coatings Optical coatings that absorb and reflect unwanted energy, with special low reflection attenuation designs available.
• Metal & Dielectric Depositions Metal and dielectric thin film depositions including gold, aluminum, silver, titanium, tungsten, tantalum, nickel, platinum, palladium, chromium, copper, and indium for various optical applications.
• Coating for Plastics Thin protective coatings specifically designed for plastic and molded polymer optics including acrylics, polycarbonates, polystyrenes, polarizers, Mylar, and Zeonex substrates.
• Optical Band Pass Filters Optical filters for wide sideband blocking applications that transmit certain wavelengths while blocking surrounding light.
• Notch Filters / Band Stop Filters

Quantifiable outcome

• Laser damage threshold up to 40 J/cm2 @ 20 ns pulse width at 1064nm
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HEF Photonics USAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2026HEF Photonics USA completed the acquisition of Evaporated Coatings, Inc. on May 8, 2026. The acquisition added ECI's 16 coating systems and specialized Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS) expertise to HEF Photonics' U.S. manufacturing footprint, expanding operations on both East and West Coasts and bringing the organization's total optical coating systems to more than 50. ECI's expertise in coating polymer substrates and complex thin film coatings for aerospace, defense, semiconductor, and life sciences markets complements HEF Photonics' existing Torrance, California operations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HEF Photonics: French-based global optics group and ECI's acquirer (May 2026). Operates thin-film optical coating facilities worldwide and now combines its Torrance, CA operations with ECI's Willow Grove, PA site, directly overlapping in custom optical coatings for industrial, defense, and photonics customers.
• Reynard Corporation: U.S.-based custom optical coatings manufacturer producing thin-film coatings, AR coatings, mirrors, and filters for defense, medical, and industrial markets. Closest direct competitor to ECI in size, custom RFQ-driven model, and aerospace/defense focus.
• Precision Glass & Optics (PG&O): Custom optical component manufacturer offering precision glass substrates and thin-film optical coatings for aerospace, medical, and display applications. Comparable to ECI in substrate/coating integration, ITAR readiness, and custom RFQ sales motion.
• Abrisa Technologies: Optical coatings and fabricated glass specialist producing AR coatings, ITO coatings, filters, and mirrored glass. Direct peer to ECI in custom optical coatings on glass and coated substrates serving industrial, display, and photonics customers.

Broad incumbents

• Thorlabs: Large vertically integrated photonics components manufacturer offering optical coatings, filters, mirrors, and beam splitters as part of a broad catalog spanning thousands of SKUs. Overlaps with ECI on optical thin-film coatings but competes primarily through standardized catalog products rather than custom IBS-only work.
• Edmund Optics: Global optical components distributor and manufacturer offering standard and custom optical coatings, filters, and mirrors. Larger scale than ECI and serves overlapping aerospace, life sciences, and semiconductor customers with both catalog and custom coating services.
• Newport Corporation (MKS Instruments): Subsidiary of MKS Instruments producing optical components, thin-film coatings, filters, and mirrors for laser, semiconductor, and research customers. Significantly larger and more diversified than ECI, with overlapping capabilities in precision dielectric coatings and IBS-style deposition.
• Coherent Corp: Global photonics and materials platform offering thin-film optical coatings, laser optics, and filter components across telecom, semiconductor, and defense end markets. Much broader portfolio than ECI, but directly comparable in optical coatings for high-power laser and defense applications.
• Viavi Solutions (Optical Security and Performance Products / ZC&R): Viavi's ZC&R coatings subsidiary produces precision thin-film optical coatings, bandpass filters, and dichroic filters for life sciences, defense, and aerospace. Directly competes with ECI in custom and standard optical filters and coatings at greater scale and broader geographic reach.

Regional players

• OptoSigma (Sigma Koki Group): Japanese optical components manufacturer (Sigma Koki) offering optical coatings, filters, mirrors, and prisms, primarily serving Asian markets. Comparable to ECI in thin-film coating capabilities and custom filter offerings but primarily competes outside North America, with limited overlap in U.S. defense.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Evaporated Coatings, Inc.