Special Materials for Precision Optics & Laser Coatings Oxides For
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Special materials for Precision Optics & Laser Coatings Oxides for Evaporation Special materials for Precision Optics & Laser Coatings Titanium oxides › Highest refractive index of oxides in visible range › AR and multilayer coatings on glass and polymers › Best reproducibility by using Ti3O5 › Stable evaporation behaviour without spitting or outgassing › High UV-blockage and low thermal substrate load for coatings on plastics Film properties Application Guidelines Refractive index at 550 nm Characteristics of starting material › on unheated substrates/no IAD 2.07 – 2.22 Chemical formula TiO Ti O Ti O TiO , TiO Ti metal › on heated substrates, T = 250 °C/no IAD 2.25 – 2.40 2 3 3 5 2-X 2 S Color Gold Purple Black-purple Black, white Grey › on unheated substrates/with IAD 2.10 – 2.50 Density g/cm3 4.9 4.6 4.6 4.2 4.5 Range of transparency (fully oxidized film) 400 nm – 11 µm Melting point °C 1750 ~ 1760 ~ 1760 1775 1668 Delivery form Tablets, granulate On request Environmental Stability MIL-C-675 B/C Stress Evaporation technique › on unheated substrates/no IAD Tensile › on heated substrates, TS ≥ 250 °C/no IAD Tensile All titanium oxides melt completely. Only the Ti3O5 melt evaporates › on unheated substrates/with IAD Type and magnitude congruently. Titanium oxides are deposited reactively by electron beam depending on IAD parameters evaporation with a Cu-crucible and Mo-liner or from W-boats. Data based on TiO2 coatings deposited from Ti3O5 starting material. Typical deposition in all sizes of coating systems involves rates of 0.2 – 0.5 nm/s at O pressures of 2 – 3 x 10-4 mbar (or equivalent O flow). Low-absorbing films deposited from all titanium oxide starting compositions 2 2 For the intended variation of refractive index and film stress, substrate are of the composition TiO . The structure of the TiO films depends on the 2 2 temperature, oxygen pressure or flow, deposition rate and the parameters deposition conditions and starting materials ranging from amorphous to of ion assistance can be employed. O -operated RF plasma ion sources are crystalline anatase or rutile. This explains the wide spread in the refractive 2 able to produce high-dense TiO2 films with full stress compensation relative index values. TiO2 films have the highest and most widely tunable refractive to SiO2. index in the visible range of all oxides with the best optical contrast to SiO2. TiO2 films effectively block UV-radiation for wavelengths < 400 nm which can be used for the protection of coated polymeric substrates. The stress of Application fields TiO films can be tuned in a wide range of tensile and compressive values. 2 AR and multilayer coatings (dielectric mirrors, dichroics, narrowband The compensation of the SiO compressive stress for common deposition 2 filters, polarizers, beamsplitters) for VIS and IR spectral range, coatings for conditions along with the high index contrast favours the use of TiO films 2 precision optics and on plastics, to a lesser extent for laser coatings. in AR and multilayer coatings with a minimum number of layers. Using Ti3O5 starting material, thermal stresses on polymers can be reduced making this material additionally an ideal choice for coatings on plastic substrates. 2.80 2.70 Ts = 280 °C, conventional Ts = 70 °C, IAD 2.60 Ts = 70 °C, conventional 2.50 2.40 2.30 Refractive index n 2.20 2.10 2.00 350 400 450 500 550 600 650 700 750 800 850 900 Wavelength [nm] Typical dispersion of the refractive index for the indicated deposition conditions. Special materials for Precision Optics & Laser Coatings DRALO™ › Reduced refractive index compared to pure TiO2 enabling a higher AR bandwidth › Effective protection against UV radiation › Widely tunable film stress from tensile to compressive values › Reduced structural film stress compared to pure TiO2 › Optimized thermal film stress on plastics compared to pure TiO2 › Very good thickness homogeneity and run-to-run stability › Excellent environmental durability › Very good resistance against combined attack of heat, humidity and UV-radiation › Controlled water barrier Film properties Application Guidelines Refractive index at 550 nm Characteristics of starting material › on unheated substrates/no IAD 2.04 – 2.18 Chemical formula Ti-Al-oxide › on heated substrates, T ≥ 250 °C/no IAD 2.26 – 2.28 S Color Black metallic › on unheated substrates/with IAD 2.05 – 2.30 Density g/cm3 4.5 Range of transparency (fully oxidized film) 400 nm – 7.0 µm Melting point °C 1700 Delivery form Granulate Environmental Stability MIL-C-675 B/C passed Stress Evaporation technique › on unheated substrates/no IAD Mostly tensile depending on rate and O2 pressure DRALO™ films can be produced by reactive electron beam evaporation using › on heated substrates, TS ≥ 250 °C/no IAD Tensile Cu-crucibles with Mo-liners. Typical deposition in all sizes of coating systems -4 › on unheated substrates/with IAD Type depending on IAD involves O2 pressures of ~3 x 10 mbar (or equivalent O2 flow) and rates parameters 0.2 – 0.4 nm/s. The intended values of refractive index and film stress can be obtained by variation of substrate temperature, oxygen pressure or flow, These properties make DRALO™ layers especially well-suited as the deposition rate and the parameters of ion assistance. high-index material in precision optics. Using DRALO™ instead of pure titanium oxides requires to follow some particular guidelines to obtain reproducible, well-homogeneous films. Application fields AR and multilayer coatings in precision optics. 2.80 2.70 Ts = 280 °C, conventional Ts = 70 °C, IAD 2.60 Ts = 70 °C, conventional 2.50 2.40 2.30 2.20 2.10 Refractive index n 2.00 1.90 1.80 350 400 450 500 550 600 650 700 750 800 850 900 Wavelength [nm] Typical dispersion of the refractive index of DRALO™ films for the indicated deposition conditions. IAD parameters for coatings on plastic substrates. 02 | 03 Special materials for Precision Optics & Laser Coatings Niobium oxides › High refractive index oxide material for AR and multilayer coatings › High-temperature resistant films Film properties Application Guidelines Refractive index at 550 nm Characteristics of starting material › on unheated substrates/with IAD 2.27 – 2.31 Availability as niobium pentoxide with a minor deficiency x of oxygen › on heated substrates, TS ≥ 300 °C 2.29 – 2.33 Nb2O5-X. Range of transparency 380 nm – 8.0 µm Chemical formula Nb2O5-X Environmental Stability MIL-C-675 B/C passed Color Black metallic Density g/cm3 6.1 – 6.2 Stress Melting point °C 1512 › on unheated substrates/with IAD Tunable type and magnitude Delivery form Granulate › on heated substrates, TS ≥ 300 °C Tensile Thin films made from Nb O source material have a refractive index in 2 5-X Evaporation technique the range of 2.27 – 2.33 at 550 nm and a low absorbance over the whole VIS and near-IR region for a suitable deposition process or post-depositon Nb2O5-X source material has an excellent melting and evaporation behaviour procedure. This makes Nb2O5 layers especially well-suited as H-index without spitting or outgassing. materials in AR coatings and filters. Nb2O5 films can be produced from Nb2O5-X granulate or disks by reactive The excellent thermal and long-term stability of films deposited at high e-beam evaporation. For the intended variation of refractive index and film substrate temperatures or with plasma ion assistance make this material stress, substrate temperature, oxygen pressure or flow, deposition rate and furthermore a good choice for thermally loaded optical applications such the parameters of ion assistance can be employed. as heat protection filters and lighting (e.g. cold light mirrors). Low-absorbance films can be obtained either at low substrate temperatures The exact characteristics of individual films depend on the respective with a post-deposition thermal treatment or by plasma or ion assistance evaporation conditions such as substrate temperature, oxygen pressure, or for substrate temperatures > 300 °C with oxygen pressures of deposition rate, possibly ion assistance parameters. 2.0 – 6.0 x 10-4 mbar or equivalent flow. Typical deposition in all sizes of coating systems involves rates 0.2 – 0.7 nm/s. Application fields AR and multilayer coatings (dielectric mirrors, heat protection filters, dichroics, narrowband filters, polarizers, beamsplitters) for VIS to IR spectral range. Occasional use in pure or mixed form for electrochromic coatings. 2.70 Ts = 280 °C, conventional, BAK640 2.60 Ts = 70 °C, IAD, APS 100 – 160 V 2.50 2.40 2.30 2.20 Refractive index n 2.10 2.00 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 Wavelength [nm] Typical dispersion of the refractive index for the indicated deposition conditions. Special materials for Precision Optics & Laser Coatings Tantalum oxides › High refractive index material with high laser damage resistance › Hard and durable films › Moisture blocking and increased climate resistance › Lithographically structurable films Film properties Application Guidelines Refractive index at 550 nm Characteristics of starting material › on unheated substrates/with IAD (O2) 2.07 – 2.17 Availability as Ta2O5, Ta2O5-X with minor deficiency x of oxygen or RENA TaOy. › on unheated substrates/with IAD (Ar+O2) 2.07 – 2.18 › on heated substrates, TS = 300 °C 2.12 – 2.13 Chemical formula Ta2O5 Ta2O5-X RENA TaOy Color White Grey-black Dark grey – metallic Range of transparency 300 nm – 10 µm Density 8.3 ~ 8.3 8.8 Environmental Stability MIL-C-675 B/C passed Melting point °C 1880 < 1880 < 1880 Delivery form Tablets, granulate, discs Stress › on unheated substrates/with IAD (O2) Compressive › on unheated substrates/with IAD (Ar+O2) Tunable type and magnitude Evaporation technique › on heated substrates, T ≥ 300 °C Tensile S Tantalum oxides are commonly evaporated by reactive e-beam evaporation Low-absorbing films deposited in appropriate conditions from all tantalum from a Cu-crucible or with Mo-liner.