Abstract

The surface structure characterization our team has developed for several years (based on microdensitometer analysis of shadowed surface replicas) proved to be very powerful in topography restitution and in determination of statistical parameters (surface roughness rms height, autocovariance length) of any microrough surface, such as thin evaporated films. An extensive surface roughness investigation of silver films evaporated on various fluoride undercoatings was achieved. Then, a set of those statistical parameters connected with silver films is available, the values of which lie in a very large range. In addition, the optical properties of those silver films were determined. Those results allowed us to study the silver film optical constants’ values vs the film’s statistical parameters. It is then possible to deduce the optical constants of a thin silver film when its roughness approaches zero. Moreover, the dip in the optical reflectance near the surface plasmon energy was measured and related to the statistical roughness parameters of the deposit.

© 1988 Optical Society of America