Zinc Selenide (ZnSe) Wafers for Research & Production 

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Zinc Selenide (ZnSe) Wafers & Substrates

Zinc Selenide (ZnSe) wafers are widely used in infrared optics, FTIR spectroscopy, CO₂ laser systems, photonics, and semiconductor research. UniversityWafer supplies single-side polished (SSP) and double-side polished (DSP) ZnSe substrates in custom dimensions, thicknesses, and orientations for universities, government laboratories, and industrial research facilities.

A PhD candidate requested low-roughness double-side polished ZnSe wafers that could be diced into 15 mm × 15 mm squares for optical transmission experiments.

Double Side Polished Zinc Selenide Wafer

UniversityWafer supplied:

  • 101.6 mm diameter ZnSe polycrystal substrates
  • Double-side polished surfaces
  • 10×10 mm and 5×5 mm diced pieces
  • High-resistivity ZnSe crystals
  • Custom dimensions and thicknesses

Reference #323557 for pricing.

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Custom Thick ZnSe Wafers

Researchers frequently request thick ZnSe substrates for infrared windows and optical experiments. UniversityWafer can supply custom-cut ZnSe pieces with SSP or DSP surfaces.

An adjunct professor requested 44 × 50 mm ZnSe wafers with a thickness of 1 mm for optical experiments.

Available options:

  • 44 × 50 mm × 1 mm SSP
  • 44 × 50 mm × 1 mm DSP

Reference #323813 for pricing.


Double-Side Polished ZnSe Wafers

Double-side polished ZnSe substrates are commonly used for transmission experiments, FTIR spectroscopy, infrared imaging, and optical coating development.

A postdoctoral researcher requested highly transparent DSP ZnSe substrates for transmission experiments in the 8–12 μm wavelength range.

UniversityWafer supplied:

  • 10 × 10 × 1 mm DSP ZnSe
  • 20 × 20 × 1 mm DSP ZnSe
  • 60/40 scratch-dig surfaces
  • Thicknesses ≥500 μm

Reference #270834 for pricing.


ZnSe Wafers for Material Characterization

Pure ZnSe wafers are frequently used for X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), optical characterization, FTIR analysis, and infrared experiments.

A graduate student requested 2-inch, 4-inch, and 6-inch ZnSe wafers for material characterization and coating studies.

Reference #325672 for pricing.


ZnSe Surface Preparation Temperature

Published studies show that ZnSe substrates are commonly preheated around 300°C prior to applying oxide coatings. Annealing at 250–350°C improves adhesion while remaining safely below decomposition temperatures.

  • Improves coating adhesion
  • Removes polishing residues
  • Enhances surface stability
  • Suitable for SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ coatings

Reference #315891 for details.


ZnSe Wafers for X-Ray Electron Spectroscopy

ZnSe substrates are often used for XPS and surface analysis of polymer coatings.

A PhD candidate requested 10 × 10 × 0.5 mm ZnSe wafers for X-ray electron spectroscopy measurements.

Reference #106750 for pricing.


ZnSe Substrates for Infrared Experiments

ZnSe is one of the most popular infrared materials because of its excellent transmission between 0.5 and 15 μm. Custom thicknesses are available for spectroscopy and optical research.

An assistant professor requested custom ZnSe thicknesses for infrared experiments conducted in a university physics department.

Reference #134400 for pricing.

Zinc Selenide (ZnSe) Applications

Zinc Selenide (ZnSe) is one of the most important II-VI semiconductor materials used in mid-infrared optics, spectroscopy, photonics, and laser systems. Thanks to its high optical transmission from approximately 0.5–15 μm and excellent resistance to thermal shock, ZnSe substrates are widely used in research laboratories and industrial optical components.

Applications of Zinc Selenide Wafers

CO₂ Laser Optics

ZnSe is considered the standard optical material for high-power CO₂ laser systems operating at 10.6 μm. Common applications include:

  • Laser windows
  • Focusing lenses
  • Beam expanders
  • Industrial cutting and welding optics
  • Protective laser windows

Infrared Imaging and Spectroscopy

Because ZnSe exhibits excellent transmission in the infrared spectrum, it is commonly used for:

  • Thermal imaging systems
  • Infrared camera windows
  • FTIR spectroscopy cells
  • Gas sensing instruments
  • Environmental monitoring equipment
  • Military and aerospace IR systems

Waveguides, Beam Splitters and Filters

ZnSe substrates are frequently used to fabricate mid-IR photonic devices, including:

Epitaxy and Thin-Film Deposition Research

ZnSe thin films can be deposited by MBE, MOCVD, pulsed laser deposition and sputtering. ZnSe is commonly studied alongside other II-VI semiconductor materials.

  • Blue and UV emitters
  • Photodetectors
  • Quantum wells and quantum dots
  • Heterostructures with ZnS, CdSe, and GaAs

Optical Coatings

ZnSe optics often receive anti-reflection and protective coatings. Surface preparation near 300°C improves coating adhesion for:

Custom ZnSe Substrates for Research

UniversityWafer supplies custom ZnSe substrates for transmission experiments, spectroscopy, and optical characterization.

  • Single-side polished (SSP)
  • Double-side polished (DSP)
  • Diced substrates
  • Thicknesses from 0.3 mm to 2 mm
  • Low roughness surfaces
  • Custom dimensions

What's In Stock? ZnSe Crystals

UniversityWafer maintains an inventory of Zinc Selenide crystals and multispectral windows for infrared optics, FTIR spectroscopy, beam splitters, and CO₂ laser applications. Current stock includes random orientation, (110), and (111) ZnSe crystals with double-side polished and inspection-polished surfaces.

What's In Stock? Zinc Selenide (ZnSe) Crystals

UniversityWafer stocks Zinc Selenide (ZnSe) crystals, multispectral windows, Brewster plates, rods, and optical blanks for infrared optics, FTIR spectroscopy, CO₂ laser systems, and photonic research.

# Type Size Orientation / Finish Qty Available
1Random oriented16×9×1 mm2 sp.1 pc
2Multispectral windowØ8×2 mm4 pcs
3EOM blank35×3.5×3.5 mm3.5×3.5 // (110), 1 side 35×3.5 // (100), inspection polished8 pcs
4Multispectral windowØ29×2 mmCenter hole diameter 8 mm, 2 sp., 60/403 pcs
5(110)5×5×1 mm1 side 60/40 polished, 1 side fine grinded1 pc
6(110)5×5×2 mm2 sides inspection polished2 pcs
8(110)6×4×2 mm6×4 // (110), all sides 60/40 polished28 pcs
9Multispectral windowØ13×0.5 mm5 pcs
10(110)20.2×10.2×1.6 mm2 sides polished5 pcs
11EOM blank1.5×1.5×30 mm(110)/(110)/(100), 1.5×1.5 // (110), 1.5×1.5 sides polished22 pcs
12(110)Diam. 25.4 mmThickness wedge 0.5 deg. Thin side 0.3 mm1 pc
14Rods, random orientedDiam. 5×15 mmSide surface polished4 pcs
15(110)10×10×1 mm2 sides 60/40 polished5 pcs
16(110)10×3×1 mm2 sides 60/40 polished2 pcs
17(110)10×10×0.5 mm2 sides 60/40 polished8 pcs
18(110)Ø10×2 mm2 sides 60/40 polished5 pcs
19(111)10×10×0.5 mm2 sides 60/40 polished1 pc
20(111)25.4×4×1 mm2 sp., 60/401 pc
21Random oriented20×20×2 mm1 side polished, 1 side fine grinded5 pcs
22Random oriented20.2×10.2×1.6 mm2 sp.2 pcs
23Multispectral, Brewster plate30×22×3 mm4 corner bevels 3×45 deg., 2 sp., 60/402 pcs
24Multispectral windowDiam. 40×3.8 mm2 sp., 60/401 pc
25Random oriented rodDiam. 10×96.75 mm2 surfaces diam. 10 are polished 60/401 pc
26(111)10×10×0.2 mm2 sides 60/40 polished7 pcs
27(110)3×3×4 mm2 sp., 3×3 mm // (110)4 pcs
28(110)2×2×3 mm2 sp., 2×2 mm // (110)3 pcs
29(110)10×10×4 mm2 sp., 60/405 pcs
30(111)10×10×1 mm2 sp., 60/404 pcs

Available ZnSe Configurations

Available ZnSe crystals include random orientation, (110), and (111) substrates with dimensions ranging from 5×5 mm to 40 mm and thicknesses from 0.3 mm to 3.8 mm. Multispectral windows, Brewster plates, rods, and double-side polished substrates are available for infrared optics, spectroscopy, photonic devices, and laser research applications.

Related ZnSe Resources