Retardation of the oxidation of aluminum thin films in low-oxygen and cryogenic environments

S. Merlin Hart; Donovan K. Smith; David D. Allred

doi:10.1117/12.2576339

13 December 2020 Retardation of the oxidation of aluminum thin films in low-oxygen and cryogenic environments

S. Merlin Hart, Donovan K. Smith, David D. Allred

Proceedings Volume 11451, Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation IV; 1145149 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2576339
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2020, Online Only

Conference Poster

Abstract

Aluminum is the best choice of material for broadband mirrors. However, once an oxide layer forms on the surface of the mirrors the reflectance in the far ultraviolet range decreases. The study of Al mirrors is difficult because they oxidize so quickly in the air. This makes reproducibility and joint work between laboratories difficult because the mirrors will oxidize and make successive measurements inaccurate. We have found that storing aluminum thin-film mirrors in low oxygen environments (such as liquid nitrogen, dry ice, and hexane) retards mirror oxidation. We examined the retardation of the growth of aluminum oxide during storage in these environments. This oxidation retardation was most pronounced when mirrors were stored in liquid nitrogen. In comparing the growth rate of oxide out of storage to that while it was in storage, we found that the apparent growth of aluminum oxide, is 1/500 in liquid nitrogen, 1/200 in hexane and 1/40 in dry ice.

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S. Merlin Hart, Donovan K. Smith, and David D. Allred "Retardation of the oxidation of aluminum thin films in low-oxygen and cryogenic environments", Proc. SPIE 11451, Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation IV, 1145149 (13 December 2020); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2576339

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