History of Nikon Optical Materials

Nikon's commitment to high-quality optical glass has been with the company since it was founded in the late 1910s. Research and development of glass materials has consistently run parallel to the creation of designs for Nikon's acclaimed optical products, and full-scale production of glass has remained in-house through the years at Nikon's own glass fusing facilities — a fact unique in the industry. As a reliable supplier of high-precision optical materials, Nikon has always met or exceeded the expectations of customers and has extended the scope of its achievements into advanced technology areas, such as semiconductor devices, flat-panel displays, information and telecommunications, and measuring instruments.

1918	Research into the manufacturing of optical glass begins one year after the establishment of Nippon Kogaku K.K.
1923	Nikon takes over the research department of the Aeronautical Research Institute. First annealing with a 350kg crucible is achieved.
1930	Precise annealing is achieved using an electric furnace.
1951	Development of rare-earth-doped glass begins.
1956	Platinum pot melting of lanthanum glass begins.
1966	Development of continuous melting begins.
1971	Development of Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass begins.
1983	Development of specialized optical glass for i-line steppers begins.
1986	Development of silica glass begins.
1987	Development and production of lightweight optical glass begins.
1994	Development and production of optical glass for molding begins.
1997	Full-scale production of eco-optical glass begins.
2001	Production of calcium fluoride begins.
2003	External sales of optical materials begins.
2007	Production of 10th generation LCD photomask substrate begins.
2009	Production of optics for high-power lasers begins.
2012	Production of synthetic silica glass substrate for high-precision LCD photomask begins.