As the CEO of Chroma Technology for the past five years – and COO and CFO for almost eight years prior to that – Newell Lessell has a unique and rounded perspective on what makes his company unique.
The optical filter company was formed in 1991 in Vermont, USA, where it is still headquartered now. Of its six founders, three are still actively involved in the organisation, with Jay Reichman its Chief Design Engineer to this day. It’s this sort of long-term consistency that builds a long-standing client base and a steady, solid position in the markets it prioritises – particularly, perhaps, in the life sciences, where regulatory sensitivity and the need for uniform reliability remain acutely important.
“We’re not a conventional family business or one where the owners are off playing golf and cashing the occasional cheque,” says Lessell. “Chroma Technology is 100% employee-owned: each employee has a share of the responsibility for our success, and benefits from its rewards. That’s led to many of them being with us for a very long time, which I think is very powerful. It really helps to build relationships with our customers over the long-term. We have built up a ton of expertise through that – particularly, I would say, in the biomedical field.”
That market position in life sciences hasn’t led to a tunnel-visioned focus just there, however. “Of late, we have been making more of a conscious effort to diversify the markets that we're serving, and that's really exciting as it has naturally pushed us to drive our capabilities,” he says. Notable in that journey has been some interesting work in satellite communication applications. The company’s filters need spectral precision in that environment that really isolates distinct laser lines while minimising noise (unwanted light) from other areas of the spectrum. The filters are precisely designed to offer tight wavelength tolerances, offering control down to subnanometer levels; sharp spectral edges allowing bands to be closer together; and selectable bands.
“Capability development needs to be informed by market need,” says Lessell. “Many of the insights that have driven our process development can be traced to conversations with our customers. Our job is to understand the customer’s application, what they’re trying to accomplish, the implications for filter performance, and then work with our engineering and production teams to deliver the solution to meet the customer’s needs.” The process to develop an optimal solution is often iterative and can take some time but getting it right is well worth the effort according to Lessell. “The challenges are really interesting and a well crafted solution can help our customers differentiate their product, which is incredibly important,” he says.
Chroma Technology does a lot of custom work, as a customised filter is often the best solution, but custom does not have to mean expensive. A design that has been optimised for a specific application is often more efficient than an ‘off-the-shelf’ filter and Chroma Technology has a database of more than 20,000 designs to build on in creating tailored solutions that can be produced at a competitive price. “I want us to be competitive – there are some markets where that is more of a challenge, of course – but those challenges can force us to explore our capabilities and that’s a positive thing,” Lessell says.
“I’m always interested in identifying market signals to inform our planning and direction,” he told Electro Optics. “We keep track of things that we choose not to bid on and routinely revisit that list to see if there are trends that suggest a market opportunity that we should better equip ourselves to serve. One recent example that springs to mind is an interest in what I would call ‘funky shaped objects’; non rectangular polygons, for example. These can be produced on a conventional saw but it can be very time consuming. As we’ve seen more requests for these forms, we have invested in equipment that enables us to produce these unusual shapes more quickly with excellent edge finish.”
Some of the optics customised by Chroma Technology (Image: Chroma Technology)
One area of work for Chroma Technology where sensitivity is key is in filters for semiconductor inspection and metrology applications. Here, nanoscale precision can make or break a product and optical filters play a crucial yet often overlooked role. Chroma Technology has built a specialisation in creating advanced optical filters designed to meet the rigorous demands of semiconductor inspection. These filters offer impressive control over light, with features designed to enhance inspection capability, including high transmission for maximum signal strength; deep blocking to reduce noise, with full-range out-of-band blocking available; steep edges for enhanced spectral discrimination, and customisable bandwidths – from an ultra-narrow, one angstrom-wide bandwidth to a band spanning hundreds of nanometers.
Lessell believes, more generally, the focus on miniaturisation remains important, with handheld diagnostic applications, for example, requiring the filters to have less sensitivity to high angle of incidence (AOI). This care around understanding what’s required allows customers to buy with confidence – for example, lifetime warranties are in place for all catalogue dielectric sputtered filters, and there’s a five-year warranty for catalogue metal sputtered filters.
While the supply-chain pressure of the pandemic era has now largely eased, Lessell confirms the industry-wide stock situation, which saw many customers sitting on high volumes of supplies and slowing their ordering cycles, is now appearing to even out, which bodes well for the coming year. Chroma Technology trades internationally and has a range of different markets to serve, meaning the firm has been well placed to handle any bumps in the business environment, and is in a strong position for the future.
Alongside partner company 89 North, focused on light engine solutions and with an enviable track record of more than 240 scientific citations globally, Chroma Technology operates in China, Germany and Japan. Although the markets may be distinct, the ethos remains consistent: it’s about developing the right solutions based on long-standing collaborative partnerships.
“We have an extensive offering of catalogue filters suitable for many applications,” says Lessell. “It includes some great products but it is in no way an exhaustive representation of what we are capable of. Often, a conversation that begins with an inquiry about a catalogue product evolves into a dialogue about creating something new. People are doing amazing things in the photonics space and it’s very satisfying to be able to help them realise their vision.”
About Chroma Technology
Chroma Technology is a leading manufacturer of highly precise optical filters using thin-film coating technology. Our reputation is built on dedicated customer service, including technical and application support. We manufacture high-performance optical filters covering a spectral range from 200-5000nm with superior durability and longevity across many industries and applications. Our filter types include long, short, and multi-bandpass filters, notch rejection filters, neutral density filters, beamsplitters, and reflective metal mirrors. Offering off-the-shelf, custom, and high-volume production products and solutions, we can design and deliver optical filters that do precisely what our customers need.
