Densification of zirconia films by coevaporation with silica

Technical Report · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:6267543

Feldman, A; Farabaugh, E N

Optical films of zirconia have been receiving considerable attention because of their potential use as the high-index layer in multilayer optical coatings for the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum. Several problems are associated with electron-beam deposited zirconia films, including index instability and index inhomogeneity. The index instability is caused by the adsorption and the desorption of water in the porous columnar structure of the zirconia films. Index inhomogeneity is due to the inhomogeneous structure in the films. Recent work has shown that the first several tens of nanometers of a film possess a cubic structure, whereas the outmost layers possess a monoclinic structure. One approach for producing bulk-like zirzonia films that is receiving considerable attention at present is ion-assisted electron-beam deposition. This is because the method has successfully produced zirconia films having bulk-like densities and refractive indices that show insignificant sensitivity to water adsorption. In this paper a similar effect is demonstrated when mixed zirconia:silica films are produced by coevaporation from independent electron-beam sources, and, in particular, it is shown that the admixture of a small amount of silica with the zirconia produces a film possessing a higher refractive index than a pure zirconia film.

• Research Organization: National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC (USA). Inorganic Materials Div.
• OSTI ID: 6267543
• Report Number(s): PB-85-206621/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360201* -- Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories-- Preparation & Fabrication
BEAMS
CHALCOGENIDES
COATINGS
DENSITY
ELECTRON BEAMS
ENERGY BEAM DEPOSITION FILMS
FILMS
LEPTON BEAMS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE BEAMS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SUBSTRATES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES