Properties of films obtained by ion-beam sputtering

This paper presents a study of films obtained by sputtering targets made fr om optical glasses and oxides with an ion beam created by a self-contained ion source. It is shown that the films deposited by this method have a homo geneous fine-grained structure and high adhesion to the substrate. The opti cal constants of the films are determined. It is shown that films of optica l glasses can be obtained with optical parameters close to those of the ori ginal glass. The main mechanisms by which radiation losses occur in the fil ms are revealed, and ways of reducing them are proposed. It is established that the radiation-loss coefficient in films obtained by ion-beam sputterin g is an order of magnitude Lower than those of films obtained by electron-b eam evaporation. The films are promising for use in optical systems whose q uality substantially depends on the radiation loss in the layers. (C) 2001 The Optical Society of America.