Canon Optron started the research and development of fluorite of large diameters and super high quality in 1995, intended for use in aligners for integrated circuit manufacturing. In 2000, it has begun supplying materials for lenses. Then Canon Optron has continued its efforts to develop further high quality products, succeeding in implementing the world's top-level technology for manufacturing high quality fluorite.

Canon Optron has conducted the analyses of temperatures and solid-liquid interfaces. By controlling these factors, it has succeeded in growing an extremely high quality fluorite crystal containing almost no subgrain structures (the upper part of the photo).		X ray topography image of fluorite crystal - longitudinal section
Canon Optron's large diameter lenses are used not only in the aligners for integrated circuit manufacturing, but also in the large diameter refraction astronomical telescopes at astronomical observatories throughout Japan.

Click the links below to see a telescope that uses a large diameter fluorite crystal lens.

A large diameter fluorite lens for astronomical telescopes at astronomical observatories

Yuki Information + Communication Center
Unzen Suwanoike Visitor Center
Sakura Lake Nature Watching Station