Semrock

Property

Exciter

Emitter

Dichroic

Comments

Guaranteed Transmission^[1]

> 93%

> 90%

Averaged over the passband (emitter band only for dichroic)

Typical Transmission

> 97%

> 93%

Dichroic Reflection

N/A

> 98%

Averaged over exciter band(s)

Angle of Incidence

0° ± 5°

45° ± 1.5°

Range of angles over which optical specs are
guaranteed for collimated light

Cone Half Angle^[2]

7°

2°

For uniformly distributed non-collimated light

Autofluorescence

Low

Ultra-low

Transverse Dimensions

25.0 mm

25.2 x 35.6 mm

Except Leica; see Filter Sizes Table for more info

Transverse Tolerance

+ 0.0 / – 0.1 mm

± 0.1 mm

Clear Aperture

> 21 mm

> 22 mm

> 80%

Area over which all optical specs are met;
> 85% of transverse dimensions for Leica filters

Thickness

5.0 mm

3.5 mm

1.05 mm

Thickness Tolerance

± 0.1 mm

± 0.05 mm

Edge Chipping

< 0.1 mm

Measured from substrate edge

Ring Housing Material

Aluminum, black-anodized

Exciter and emitter only;
Leica filters are not mounted in aluminum rings

Surface Quality

60-40 scratch-dig

As per MIL-C-48497A

Coating Type

"Hard" ion-beam-sputtered

Blocking

BrightLine filters have blocking far exceeding OD 6 as needed to ensure the blackest background, even
when using modern low-noise CCD cameras. The blocking is optimized for microscopy applications using
our exclusive SpecMaker™ fluorescence filter design software.

Reliability and Durability

Ion-beam-sputtered, hard-coated technology with epoxy-free, single-substrate construction for unrivaled filter life and no "burn-out" even when subjected to high optical intensities for a prolonged period of time.
BrightLine filters are rigorously tested and proven to MIL-STD-810F and MIL-C-48497A environmental
standards.

Exciter/Emitter Orientation

Arrow on ring indicates preferred direction of propagation of light; see diagram below left.

Dichroic Orientation

"Reflective coating side" should face toward light source and sample; see diagrams below right.

Microscope Compatibility

BrightLine filters are available to fit Leica, Nikon, Olympus, and Zeiss microscopes.

^[1] Guaranteed average transmission > 90% for BrightLine Basic™ and Qdot® filter sets. For UV and multiband filters, see full filter set descriptions on BrightLine Microscopy Catalog page.
^[2] Filter performance is likely to remain satisfactory for Cone Half Angles as large as 10° for exciters and emitters, and 3° for dichroics.

Orientation of filters in a microscope: Because BrightLine filters are so durable, you can easily populate your own cubes, sliders, and filter wheels without having to worry about damaging the filters. To obtain the most optimal performance from the filters, they should be oriented properly. The diagrams below explain the proper orientation.

Proper orientation of all filters

The exciter and emitter should be oriented so that the arrow on the side of the aluminum ring points in the direction of propagation of the desired light – from the light source to dichroic for the exciter and from the dichroic to eye or camera for the emitter. The dichroic should be oriented such that the reflective coating side faces toward the exciter or light source and the sample.

Dichroic beamsplitter "reflective coating side"

Marked Dichroics

		If the dichroic has a small linear mark, the reflective coating side is facing you when the mark is vertical (parallel to the long side) and in the lower right corner.

Unmarked Dichroics

		When viewing the dichroic with the reflective coating side down, you can see a double-reflection of a bright object and the thickness of the filter at the far edge is apparent.

		When viewing the dichroic with the reflective coating side up, you can see a predominantly single reflection of a bright object and the thickness of the filter at the far edge is not visible.