ICMCTF1999 Session C1: Recent Advances in Optical Coatings

Wednesday, April 14, 1999 8:30 AM in Sunset Room

Wednesday Morning

Start	Invited?	Item
9:10 AM	Invited	C1-3 LPCVD Coating of Complexly Shaped Substrates, with Emphasis on Telecommunications Optics N.L. Boling (Deposition Sciences, Inc.) Deposition of uniform, durable optical coatings on complexly shaped substrates is a problem that can be difficult to address through traditional optical coating technologies. LPCVD (low pressure chemical vapor deposition) is capable of providing very durable, uniform conformal multilayer coatings with good optical control over the entire surface of even complex shapes such as spheres and helices. The capability of the LPCVD process for depositing such optical coatings will be outlined, and the application to some telecommunication optics described.
9:50 AM		C1-5 Ion Assisted Deposition of Cerium Fluoride for Antireflective Coatings and Bandpass Filters R.C. Anderson (Raytheon Infrared Center of Excellence) An Ion Assisted CeF₃ thin film was developed for use as an antireflection coating for ZnSe windows in the 1-5 micron wavelength range of the electromagnetic spectrum. The coating was optimized to have no absorption in the 2.9 micron region of infrared light. Additionally, an Ion Assisted CeF₃ thin film was used in combination with ZnSe to form a pair of high and low index coating materials for short-wave pass filter production. Utilizing a broad range of transparency, the multilayer coating is able to transmit light from the visible to long wavelength infrared. Presentation includes evaporation technique and characterization of the films. Characterization includes index of refraction, extinction coefficient, durability, adhesion, stress, and transmission. Examples of AR coated ZnSe windows and short-wave pass filters are shown.
10:30 AM		C1-7 Experiences with Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering (PMS) for Coating on Glass V. Kirchhoff, T. Kopte, C. Peters (FEP, Dresden, Germany) From the developments of the last years, it can be seen that the Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering (PMS) Process will become an important basis technology for coating of glass. With this technology, layers like SiO₂, TiO₂, Al₂O₃, Si₃N₄ can be deposited at profitable high rates, and highly sophisticated layer stacks can be produced. The specific characteristics of the PMS process for coating of glass with a width of 3.2 m will be described. A challenge has been the demand for a layer uniformity of ±1.5%. The ways to stabilize the coating process will be shown. At the hand of production data it will be shown, that the PMS process is a reliable process for production processes. Important coating and layer parameters will be presented.
10:50 AM		C1-8 Optical Properties of Photochromic Organic-Inorganic Composites R.O. Dillon, Y.G. Mo, P.G. Snyder (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) This paper presents the sol-gel synthesis and spectroscopic analysis of organic-inorganic photochromic thin films. The low temperature sol-gel process allows the synthesis of materials which cannot be prepared by conventional methods. The control of source-solution viscosity is a key factor in preparing films of variable thicknesses on different substrates as well as monoliths of various shapes. The films are based on an organic-inorganic matrix in which metal 12-tungstophosphate(TP) or tungstosilicic acid (TSA) is entrapped in a organic matrix network of 3-glicidexy-propyl-trimethoxysilane (GPTMS), respectively. A chemical solution of GPTMS and water was stirred under an ice bath, and then, TP or TSA was slowly added and stirred for 30 min. The final solution was used for making thin films on Si and quartz substrates using a spin coater. Also, transparent monoliths were obtained by casting of the solution. The composite thin films showed both a faster and more deep coloration response than pure tungsten oxide films under UV. We will present optical properties of the films using ellipsometry, spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction, and FTIR spectroscopy in the visible and infrared.