Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST

Optical functions – e. g. anti-reflective coatings or filters for specific spectral ranges – can be realized by means of interference coating systems. These systems deploy a sequence of high and low-refractive layers whose layer thicknesses are precalculated according to the desired optical function. At the Fraunhofer IST, such coating systems are produced by means of magnetron cathode sputtering; applications are optical components in the field of precision optics.

The “Hacking Engineering” Hackathon is a new format. The teams of participants had 48 hours in which to solve one of four specified challenges. One of the winning teams chose for its solution the multifunctional thin-film sensor system developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST – and thereby won “Kill the valve”.