INFLUENCE OF THE OXYGEN STOICHIOMETRY ON THE STRUCTURAL AND OPTICAL-PROPERTIES OF REACTIVELY EVAPORATED ZRO(X) FILMS

Thin ZrO(x) films are deposited by reactive electron beam evaporation of pure zirconium metal at different oxygen partial pressures. Stoichi ometry, structural composition and optical properties of these films a re studied. Results from x-ray diffraction and ellipsometry show that the crystallographic phase composition and the optical properties of t he films can be controlled by a proper choice of the oxygen partial pr essure. In comparison with direct evaporation of ZrO2, the reactive ev aporation of zirconium metal improves the homogeneity of the refractiv e index along the film thickness thanks to an increased homogeneity in the crystallographic phase composition.