Influences of the deposition rate on the microstructure and hardness of composite films prepared by reactive ion-assisted coevaporation

Rung-Ywan Tsai; Mu-Yi Hua; Fang Chung Ho

doi:10.1117/12.210748

1 October 1995 Influences of the deposition rate on the microstructure and hardness of composite films prepared by reactive ion-assisted coevaporation

Rung-Ywan Tsai, Mu-Yi Hua, Fang Chung Ho

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Optical Engineering, Vol. 34, Issue 10, (October 1995). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.210748

Abstract

The influence of the deposition rate on the microstructure and hardness of TiO₂-SiO₂ and TiO₂-MgF₂ composites and their single component films prepared by reactive ion-assisted coevaporation in the deposition rate range 0.14 to 2 nm/s are investigated using an x-ray diffractometer, a transmission electron microscope, and a microhardness tester. It is found that the hardness of the composite films and their single components increase with a decreasing deposition rate. However, the hardnesses of TiO₂-SiO₂ and TiO₂-MgF₂ composite films were generally lower than that of pure SiO₂ and MgF₂, respectively, at the same component deposition rate. This indicates that the addition of TiO₂ reduces the hardness of Si02 and MgF2 films. The ultrahigh hardness of pure MgF₂ films deposited by ion assistance at the deposition rate of 0.14 nm/s probably results from the high packing density, low lattice defects, and the small grain size (<20 nm) with the preferred orientation of [110]. Furthermore, the homogeneous dispersion of these hard nanoscale MgF₂ grains within the amorphous TiO₂ matrix causes the hardening of the composite film.

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Rung-Ywan Tsai, Mu-Yi Hua, and Fang Chung Ho "Influences of the deposition rate on the microstructure and hardness of composite films prepared by reactive ion-assisted coevaporation," Optical Engineering 34(10), (1 October 1995). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.210748

Published: 1 October 1995

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