How to make silver halide hologram recording plates using primitive simplicity.

Jeff Blyth, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Rd

CAMBRIDGE CB2 lQT

Materials

1) Presubbed gla ss plates.

2) Gelatin of “bloom strength” between 250 and 300 (eg 300bloom from Aldrich cat.no.27,162-4)
3) ascorbic acid or Vitamin C.
4) Silver-nitrate.
5) Lithium bromide “99%”.
6) Chromium acetate.
7) dye(s): Pinacyanol Chloride (for HeNe 633nm exposure) or 1,1 ‘-diethyl -2,2’ cyanine iodide for
exposure at 532nm.

Concentration of Solutions (quantities will need to be judged by you to suit your requirements)

Silver nitrate 6% w/v in water

Stock dye solns : for 633nm 1g. /1000 ml Methanol, but for 532 nm dye, 1g per 500 ml methanol
Lithium bromide 3% w/v in 50/50 methanol /water
Chrome Alum 2%
Gelatin solution 15%: (see next paragraph)
Ascorbic acid @ pH 5 1% solution in water

Preparation of coating solution for a 10” x 8” plate

Add 30g gelatin to 170ml cold water and mark the liquid level on the beaker. Place beaker in a water
bath and heat while stirring constantly until gelatin solution is between 70 and 80° C.

Stir until all granules have cleared. Top up level to the mark . To remove skin and surface foam, pour
through a fine mesh into a preheated beaker.

Coating( a curtain method)

Incline the presubbed glass plate (preheated to around 600C) at an angle of about 30° to the vertical
with its bottom edge in a clean tray. Pour the gelatin in a line about 1 cm from the top of the plate The
pouring rate must be continuous until the furthest edge of the plate is reached . (You may have to
accept the tendency of the coating to not completely cover the lower part closest to the furthest edge).
Lean plate against something for a few minutes while coating gels. Run a knife along thick layer at the
bottom to free plate rather than risk tearing the delicate coating. (Since no hardener is involved yet the
gel can be readily scooped up and recoated if you are not satisfied). Put plate in cold 2% solution of
chromium acetate for 1 minute. Shake off drips and then (without washing away that salt) blow plate
with cold air until dry. Once the layer is dry leave the plate to complete the chrome hardening effect
overnight in a warmer (preferably at around 600C for several hours). Rinse the hardened plate in
deionized water and dry in a warm air flow. If you want to cut plate up for the next step then after
scoring the glass back and breaking it, it is best not to pull sections apart before running a scalpel blade
along the gelatin side first.
AgBr loading operation.

1. For a 5” x 4” plate place approx. 3 ml 6% silver nitrate soln. in the centre and at once squash it with
a clean flat cover plate (preferably plastic). Leave for 5 minutes.

2 Remove cover plate and immediately remove the excess silver solution on its surface by gently
brushing over the plate with the edge of a piece of filter paper.

3. Leave the plate to dry or blow dry it with tepid (not hot) air.

4 Re-moisturise the plate with damp air (eg. breathe heavily on it but don’t use liquid water.)

5. Under safelight conditions, add 2.5 ml of dye solution per 100m1 of lithium bromide solution, agitate
the bath and plunge plate in while maintaining the agitation for about 80 seconds.

6. Rinse well under running tap water (any AgBr only on the surface can be removed by gently
rubbing with ungloved finger.)

Sensitizing step

The plate can be immersed for 1 minute in 1% ascorbic acid solution adjusted to pH 5 using a little
sodium carbonate or hydroxide . Alternatively the well known triethanolamine pre-swelling technique
can be used with the advantage of increased brightness at a shorter wavelength (prolonged settling
period may then be necessary however to avoid creep while the exposure is being made).