The cementing of optical glass, which Mr. Mizutani has mastered, refers to the sticking together of concave lenses, convex lenses, or other optical elements. Lenses that are cemented together form what are known as "compound lenses." Cementing together lenses with different refractive indices reduces aberrations and enables the required optical performance to be achieved.

In addition, this technique of cementing optical glass enables optical components with multiple different characteristics to be stuck together to produce complex optical products that it would be impossible to manufacture using a polishing process. It is also sometimes used to make special optical products in which a thin film is sandwiched between the lenses.

Compound lenses are used in numerous different optical systems, ranging from camera lenses to projection lenses in IC steppers and scanners. In short, the cementing of optical glass is a technique that is indispensable to the production of a variety of optical systems.

• Improving technique by overcoming difficulties
• Hands that are sensitive down to the micrometer
• The process of cementing optical glass
• A technique passed down from hand to hand