A new sputter deposition process has been developed based upon remote generation of plasma by a dedicated Plasma
Source (PLS). This technique is referred to as high target utilisation sputtering (HiTUS). In contrast to ion beam and
magnetron sputtering processes, HiTUS allows fast deposition rates of low stress, high density films from a high
percentage (>90%) of the target surface. The process has not previously been applied to thin films for high laser damage
threshold applications. The paper will present results of the
anti-reflection (AR) coating trials and compare them to two
other coating deposition processes - standard e-beam evaporation and hollow cathode ion-assisted e-beam deposition.
The health risks associated with the inhalation or ingestion of cadmium are well documented. During the past 18
years, EU legislation has steadily been introduced to restrict its use, leaving a requirement for the development of
replacement materials. This paper looks at possible alternatives to various cadmium II-VI dielectric compounds used in
the deposition of optical thin-films for various opto-electronic devices. Application areas of particular interest are for
infrared multilayer interference filter fabrication and solar cell industries, where cadmium-based coatings currently find
widespread use. The results of single and multilayer designs comprising CdTe, CdS, CdSe and PbTe deposited onto
group IV and II-VI materials as interference filters for the mid-IR region are presented. Thin films of SnN, SnO2, SnS
and SnSe are fabricated by plasma assisted CVD, reactive RF sputtering and thermal evaporation. Examination of these
films using FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, EDX analysis and optical characterisation methods provide details of material
dispersion, absorption, composition, refractive index, energy band gap and layer thicknesses. The optimisation of
deposition parameters in order to synthesise coatings with similar optical and semiconductor properties as those
containing cadmium has been investigated. Results of environmental, durability and stability trials are also presented.
With the advent of common aperture systems comes a requirement for substrates and coatings that are transparent in both the visible and IR bands. While there are many suitable bulk materials there are surprisingly few coatings available that offer both antireflecting properties and substrate protection. Materials that need little environmental protection tend to be costly to fabricate and machine while others are far too soft to be of any great use. It is for this reason that particular attention has been given to multispectral zinc sulfide which is a relatively cheap material and has good transparency both in the visible and the IR up to -13micrometers . Although it is a soft material (~150kg.mm-2) it may be protected by a range of coatings. This paper will look at two main materials, ZrN deposited by RF reactive sputtering and YF3 by ion assisted deposition (IAD) which when used in conjunction offer both increased durability to the substrate and good tri-color transmittance for practical window applications.
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