Applications: In Space

Science is always expanding to new frontiers. One of the frontiers with the most promise for mankind is outer space. Mirrors and lenses have been utilized to manipulate extremely distant images from telescopes, such as the Hubble space telescope (pictured below, http://www.universetoday.com/32556/5-spinoffs-from-the-hubble-space-telescope/).

An application that is even more unique is the use of mirrors with semiconductors. An article in The Universe Today (http://www.universetoday.com/32556/5-spinoffs-from-the-hubble-space-telescope/) describes the use of mirrors in semiconductors in this way:

“The semiconductor industry has benefited from the ultra-precise mirror technology that gives the HST its full optical vision and telescopic power. This technological contribution helped improve optics manufacturing in microlithography—a method for printing tiny circuitry, such as in computer chips. The system uses molecular films that absorb and scatter incoming light, enabling superior precision and, consequently, higher productivity and better performance. This translates into better-made and potentially less costly computer circuitry and semiconductors.”