VARIABLE-ANGLE SPECTROSCOPIC ELLIPSOMETRY FOR DEEP UV CHARACTERIZATION OF DIELECTRIC COATINGS

Fluorides and oxides are classical materials for optical coatings. At present, fundamental improvements of film properties are necessary, es pecially for optical components of high power excimer lasers and other applications in the UV spectral region. The optical properties and th e laser damage threshold of the films are determined by the thin film microstructure and by contamination inside the films. Strong connectio ns between optical losses and laser stability, on the one hand, and th e film microstructure, on the other hand, have been shown. Therefore, sensitive optical characterization techniques in the UV region have to be used. We report first results of deep UV spectroscopic ellipsometr ic measurement of fluoride and oxide films.